Business Operations

In this section you will find a selection of free or low-cost tools for your day to day business operations. From digitalizing paper forms to full accounting solutions, these tools will help you streamline processes and boost productivity.

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Software Selection Guidance

  • Capterra – Free collection of software reviews to help you find the right software for your needs.
  • ChooseWhat – Step-by-step startup guide and product reviews to help you select the right tools for your needs.
  • Merchant Maverick – Reviews, ratings, and comparisons to help you make informed decisions about which software is right for your business.

Project Management

  • Basecamp – Effortlessly organizes projects, communications, and client work in one place.
  • Freedcamp – Beautiful design and great collaboration features.
  • Meistertask – Simple and flexible — and seamlessly integrates with MindMeister, the online mind mapping app.
  • Trello – Smooth and intuitive, using a method called Kaban where cards are representative of tasks.
  • Asana – Works best for teams seeking real-time interaction.
  • Evernote – Write notes, clip from anywhere on the web, and share with others. 

Accounting

  • QuickBooks – Regarded as the top accounting solution for small business. Keep track of the money coming in and out of your business, all in one easy-to-use place.
  • Wave – Free cloud-based, integrated software and tools for small businesses. Accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning is free. Pay-as-you-go services for payroll and credit card processing.
  • Zoho – Easy-to-use, online accounting software designed for small businesses. Zoho CRM is a 360-degree view of the sales cycle and pipeline and is free for 3 users.
  • Free Invoice Generator - Generate invoices for free.
  • FileThis – Smart assistant that automatically creates bill reminders and helps you to pay on time.  

Customer Relationship Management

  • Insightly – Simple to use yet powerful CRM system for small business. Free for up to two users.
  • Zendesk – Web-based CRM software. Plans starting at $5 per user per month. 

Scheduling Tools

  • Doodle – Connects to your calendar. Free for individuals and US$39 per year for professionals.
  • Findmyshift – Employee scheduling software. Free for up to 5 employees.
  • Toggl – Online time tracking and reporting services. Free for teams up to 5.
  • Sling - Free web- and app-based software to organize schedules, assign tasks and communicate with your team.

Email Management

  • Boomerang for Gmail – Control when you send and receive email messages. Get 10 message credits per month with the free plan or unlimited message credits starting at $4.99 per month.
  • ActiveInbox for Gmail – Lets you communicate about, and manage, all your work in one place. Personal Plan: $4.16 per month for a single Gmail account.
  • Front - Helps manage customer support by dividing tasks between team members. Can be used to manage email, Twitter and SMS. $15 per month for the basic account.

     

Office Suites and Document Management

  • Apache OpenOffice – Open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for any purpose.
  • LibreOffice – Free and open-source office suite embedded with several applications.
  • SmallPDF – Free online service to compress and convert PDF files and more.
  • Hellosign – Fast, secure, and legally binding eSignatures for business. Free for up to 3 documents per month and unlimited documents starting at $13 per month.
  • SignRequest - Easy, secure, legally binding and free digital signatures. Plans start at $7 per month.
  • GoCanvas – Convert paper forms to Canvas App. Plans starting at US$ 30 per user, per month.