Do you have a business or are you just starting one? You have all these great ideas and aspirations. But how do you get your business out there, while also not breaking the bank! Look no further than this list of tools that will help your business compete with some of the best.

Social media. In this day and age, you have to use social media to grow your business. Did you know that there are things you can do on social media that will make you stand out? If you don’t have the funds to hire a graphic designer, some apps can help you. Apps like Unfold or Canva allow you to make graphics with just your phone and your fingertips. They even have templates that can help you bring in more customers. The best part about these Apps is they are free. If you want to go even further, you can purchase some of the templates. 

Website. Social media is free and great, but you need a website! There are tons of places telling you to get their website and to try this or that. If you are an e-commerce business, I highly suggest using Shopify. It helps you monitor your sales, plus it grows with your company. Wix and Squarespace are great options for running a business website. Let me explain. You have to pay a little more for one of these platforms verse using a free Word Press template. This is because they come with more. If you don’t know tons about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and you aren’t super techy, both Wix and Squarespace have you covered. They have easy to use templates and populate a lot of your SEO. Why does this matter? SEO means, when people are googling you or something like you, the chance of your stuff popping up are higher than most. This means more sales for you. WordPress sites are good as well, they just take a little more work for you. I suggest that with whatever style of website you use, you need to reach out to someone who understands it or spend a day or two researching it. This will pay off in the long run.

Office 365. Did you know if you have Microsoft Office it comes with free templates? If not, you need to check out their pre-made templates for your business. This has been one of the best things for my business. They have a wide variety of templates. All you have to do is edit it to your brand. Do you know what that means? It means you are saving time! There is nothing better than saving time. I use the invoicing templates and customize them to look as close to my brand as I can. It has been amazing for keeping my billing straight. It is also easy to send to clients. I highly suggest checking these out!

A good camera. This might throw people for a loop, so let me explain. When it comes to engaging people to your business one of the cheapest and best ways of doing this is with photos. Your customers are getting the first look at what you can do from your photos. Whether you are showing your products, behind the scenes looks, showcasing employees and all things social media, I’m not saying run and go buy a two thousand dollar camera right away. I’m saying maybe invest in a newer phone that can shoot stunning photos. All of the new iPhones and androids shoot great photos that could help you elevate your business. It is yet another small thing, that can pay off in the long run!

Starting a business is not for the faint of heart. It can be demanding. You are always working and work isn’t always predictable. The pay off can be amazing and starting on the right foot is a way to see the pay off faster. Start with little things and scale your way up! Little things can make all the difference. I hope these tips help you and your business succeed!