Canva
Ideal for those new to graphic design, Canva is an online graphic design software that can be used to create a variety of print and online graphics for free or at an affordable rate for its pro edition. It offers plenty of templates and imagery to help you easily create collateral with a professional look and feel. It has a very user-friendly set up and intuitive interface, which makes it perfect for anyone starting their own small business.
You can create a company logo, social media posts, newsletter campaign templates, website headers, and much more. Your branding will look professional and you will save money and time by designing marketing materials with Canva.
Google My Business
As a business, you can easily create a Google My Business profile so your business can appear on Google searches. You will need to create a separate account to manage it, but it will allow you to respond to reviews and engage with your customers, edit your business hours and information, and even gain insights on who is looking for your business. You can learn more about how to set up your profile here.
Mailchimp
If you are looking to complete your marketing mix with some email marketing, Mailchimp is one of the best options available. With plans adapted especially for small businesses, Mailchimp is an email marketing and marketing automation tool that will make your life easier when it comes to sending emails and creating customer lists. It will not only help you automate most of your email marketing, but will also send automated emails to those who show interest in a product (like adding an item to their cart) or those who perform an action on your website.
Their free plans allow up to 2000 contacts, which includes plenty of features that will help you ace the e-world: subject line helpers, sign up forms, landing pages, email templates, etc. Mailchimp integrates with more than 250 apps so it will run smoothly with the rest of your business software.
From networking to talent acquisition, LinkedIn is a business focused tool where you will be able to stay up-to-date with the latest news in your industry (and with whomever you choose to follow). Free to use, LinkedIn is a great place to find qualified candidates for your job openings, get to know fellow small business owners, and learn about grants, webinars, resources, expos, and more. LinkedIn is easy to set up and requires low maintenance, so the benefits outweigh the work by far!
Indeed
Built to connect companies with prospective employees, Indeed is one of the most popular job searching platforms out there. If you are struggling to hire staff for your company and can’t afford a recruitment agency, Indeed is probably your best bet. Posting a job is free and will save you the hassle of creating a career page on your website. They’ll provide you with the candidate's resume and you’ll be able to contact them through one platform, so hiring is as less time consuming as possible.
Quickbooks
Specially designed for small and medium businesses, Quickbooks is an accounting software that helps you with your bookkeeping. Built to accept payments, track expenses, create invoices, and much more, Quickbooks is the accounting software of choice for many of our Coho members.
Their plans start from only $5.50 per month. They even have a plan for self-employed professionals that costs $3.75 per month. They also offer a handy payroll add-on for when you have to pay your staff. Quickbooks allows you to have all your accounting information in one place, so the time you spend managing your finances can be invested in something else.