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Best Free and Low-Cost Business Tools and Services

By: Scott Steinberg

Pop quiz: What’s the fastest way to build a new business overnight – and without having to break the bank in the process? As it turns out these days, given skyrocketing growth in digital libraries and marketplaces, pay-as-you-go cloud online apps, and freelance gig sites, it’s to outsource virtually everything for pennies on the dollar.

Picture graphic design and marketing services starting at as little as five dollars and up. Copywriting and editing for a handful of cents. Sprawling libraries full of stock photos, illustrations, and film clips that are free for commercial use. And professionally-designed websites or online storefronts that you can drag-and-drop to create with no technical knowledge starting at as little as two dollars a shot. In effect, virtually anything you’re shopping for can now be found in the form of a premade, cost-affordable template or pay-as-you-go solution today, from animated 3D video intros and eye-catching infographics that you can quickly customize to reflect any event’s theme or branding.

With over a third of Americans now freelancing and millions more skilled global gig workers launching side hustles online every day, there’s no shortage of solutions available to boot. Yes, it’s important to research potential services and partners; be clear about what you’re shopping around for; set project milestones and deadlines; and keep a close eye on managing outsourced projects. But if a common problem exists, nine times out of ten, you can now leverage someone else’s clever, cost-effective way to solve it, e.g. using a solution they’ve provided in the form of an automated online tool or free WordPress plug-in. Case in point: If you’re looking for help with everything from product or website design to branding or content development, the following online marketplaces can help pair you with cost-affordable solutions providers today:

Likewise, the sites below – which offer template, pay-as-you-go, or off-the-shelf/stock solutions that you can personalize to meet common business needs free of charge, or for a nominal fee – can also assist with any entrepreneurial project:

Logos, Graphics, and Branding

Book, Brochure, and Magazine Publishing

Email and Newsletter Marketing

Photo and Video Resources

Web Design and Online Stores

Putting the Virtual Pieces Together

For example, if you wanted to test the waters with a new virtual conference? All that it takes to prototype it and run a simple campaign to see if it resonates are:

$12/month – New website with Squarespace

$10 and up – Logo design on Fiverr.com

$20 – Promotional video from VideoHive

$0 – Free stock photos from Unsplash

$0 – Up to 300 emails a day sent via Sendinblue

As you can see, a wealth of providers are waiting to assist with day-to-day operating tasks, or help you transform concepts of every kind into winning business opportunities at a fraction of typical costs. Likewise, you can often find clever, cost-effective hacks – i.e. emailing a Microsoft Word document to your Kindle device to quickly convert it into an eBook format ready to give away or promote to target audiences – for addressing common business needs.

In short, you don’t have to be rich, well-connected, or have a ton of free time on your hands to get started building a new venture. As we often explain to speaking audiences, you just have to be a bit more clever and resourceful, and (for that matter) more persistent about capitalizing on an ever-growing range of business tools – more and more of which are being released with each passing day.

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