You don't have
to pay for everything you need to grow your
business. There are a lot of resources out
there that come at no cost. Take advantage
of them.
These are the
top 10 free stuyff for entrepreneurs.
1.
Money:
Grants:Grants are money that are given to
entrepreneurs to help them start and grow their
businesses.You don’t have to pay it back.You don’t have to give up equity in your
business to get it.Learn more about grants.
Small Business Competition:Business Plan Competition is another way
for entrepreneurs to get free money.The only catch is that you have to
compete in order to win it.The competition usually consists of key
members of the organization making a
presentation before a panel of judges who will
decide who the winners are. Some
competitions include making an elevator pitch.
Sometimes more than one presentation is
required.Some Business Plan Competitions don’t
require an in person presentation.Just the submission of the plan is
requird.Learn more about Business Plan
Competitions.
Crowdfunding:Crowdfunding is another source of free
money for entrepreneurs.Crowdfunding is a new way of legally
raising money for small businesses.Crowdfunding allow entrepreneurs to make
their pitch (via video or text) on websites and
invite the public to contribute to their
businesses.The entrepreneur don’t have to give up
any equity or take on debt.All contributions come with no strings
attached.Learn more about crowdfunding.
2.
Tax Filing:
This
IRS website directs you to
different free tax filing software that you can
use to file your federal and state taxes.There are certain criteria you must meet.For example, there is an maximum income
threshold you must meet.Pick the one that you qualify for that
best meet your needs.Learn
more.
3.
Business Assistance:
SCORE:SCORE stands for the Service Core of
Retired Executives.This organization is affiliated with the
Small Business Administration (SBA).They provide free small business
counseling.They have offices located throughout the
country.If you’re looking for small business
advice at no charge check them out.Learn more about SCORE.
Drop Box:Drop Box provides a 10GB storage package
for free.It places a virtual hard drive on your
computer and files are automatically
synchronized to the cloud when you place a file
in it.Data is encrypted in the cloud and you
can share it with others.Learn more about Drop Box.
OpenDrive:Open drives provides a 5GB storage
packagefor free.It works very much like Drop Box.It places a virtual hard drive on your
computer and files are automaticaly synchronized
to the cloud when you place a file in the it.Data is encrypted in the cloud and you
can share it with others.Learn more about
OpenDrive.
5.
Video Hosting:
YouTube:Youtube is a video hosting site owned by
Google.It is free.You can create and upload your own video
to it and share that video on your website with
a simple link back to it.The whole world can also search Youtube
and find your video.You can also add advertising to your
videos as a way to generate income.The more people viewing your video the
more money you will make.It cost you nothing.You can also link to other people’s
videos that convey the message you’re trying to
articulateand use it to enhance your website.The people that created those videos will
benefit from having more people view their
videos.Visit
Youtube.
6.
Analytics:
Google Analytics:There are many tools at Google Analytics,
but the one that most entrepreneurs should focus
on is the one that lets you track the number of
visits to your website.It provides details sucha s when visitors
are coming to your website, how long they’re
staying there and what geographic locations
they’re coming from.It’s a great tool to have.It is free.If you already have a google account, you
can sign up for it using that account.You can track more than one website.Learn more.
7.
Legal Documents:
Docracy:Provides free access to sample documents
such as Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA),
Employment, Sales & Purchases, Consulting, etc.
Free Legal Documents:This site offers free documents such as
Loan Agreements, Law Will and Testament, Durable
or Lasting Power of Attorney, Free Bill of Sale
Forms, Employment Contracts, Property Rental
Agreements, General Contractor Agreement,
Intelluctual Property, Franchising, etc.Learn
more.
Law Depot:Law Depot offers a range of free
documents that includes Partnership Agreement,
Confidentiality Agreement, LLC Operating
Agreement, Shareholder Forms, Employment and
Human Resource (HR) Forms, etc.Learn More.
Law Smart:Law Smart offers a range of free
documents that includes Partnership Agreement,
Consulting Agreement, Operating Agreement,
Confidentiality Agreement, Employment and Human
Resource (HR) Forms, etc.Learn more.
8.
Social Media:
Social media is the most cost effective way to
promote your small business.It is free.Through social media you can reach
hundreds of millions of people for just a small
investment your time.These sites includes
Facebook,
Twitter,
Google+,Pinterest.Learn more about
Social Media.
9.
Podcasting:
Blog Talk Radio:
Blog
Talk Radio's virtual recording studio has
everything you need to easily produce a high
quality podcast and broadcast your show live
online from the site, your own blog, iTunes,
Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress, Linkedin, etc.Create a live talk radio show with up to
3 hours of air time per day.Interact with your listeners in a live
chat room. This adds a whole new interactive
dimension to your broadcasts.Take callers into a private screening
room before you bring them on the air so you can
get their name or question. Or you can talk to a
co-host about the next segment while music's
playing.Connect to your show directly from your
computer without a phone by using Skype.
The
free version allows you to; host your own live
talk radio show using any phone and a web
browser; 5 simultaneous guests/listeners on your
show;Live chat with listeners;Promotional tools: share on social
networks, embed on blog/iTunes;All shows archived as podcasts;Unlimited podcast storage.
10. Stock Photography:
Use
free pics to enhance your website or promotional
materials such as business cards, brochures,
flyers, etc.Search these sites for specific types of
pics and select the ones you want.Use them as you wish at no cost or
licensing issue.