How to Start a New Business on the Cheap, Part 2 - ornelasproffecanded

Earlier this week I gave you three keys to starting a business on a midget budget. That first post focused connected planning, fundraising, and bureau space. Right away net ball's look at the last half of the equation: marketing the new venture and operating it happening the cheap.

THE Merchandising

To win in today's startup world, you need to leverage social networks — namely Facebook and Chirrup. Start by turning your personal Facebook page into a business page, which, thanks to new Facebook tools, takes every last of a a few clicks.

When you'ray ready to flex that page into something slick and professional-looking, services like Pagemodo rump help you ramp up custom Facebook pages for to a lesser degree what you expend on your daily coffee and muffin.

As for Twitter, LinkedIn, and the the likes of, suss out these real-world ways social group networks bathroom build your concern. Need proof that this overgorge in reality works? Here's a Facebook success story worth reading.

If you motive marketing materials — a company logo, a Web site, business cards — you can enlist a small army of professional designers to work on your project, but earnings for only the one you like best. (I agree: this sucks for the designers, merely if you have a limited budget, it's a hard selection to pass up.)

THE PHONES

Verbalize is cheap — until you get the note for your business earphone service. Only what force out you do? Every business needs at least one subscriber line, if only to field sales and/or service calls.

Start with Google Voice. It not only assigns you a new local number, just also routes calls to any and all existing lines you might already hold (home bas, mobile phone, etc.). It likewise provides voice mail that you can partake in, download, and receive via e-mail as written schoolbook. And it's exempt! Hither are 10 ways to nominate the nigh of Google Voice.

If you need something a littler more business-savvy, voice-over-IP services like Hopper and Phonebooth offer features equal auto-attendants, unlimited extensions, a toll-free add up, and cheaper-than-the-telcos outbound calling.

On the other hand, if you're moving a unitary-man show, maybe all you need is a second line. Line2 for Android, iPhone, and iPad adds a new topical anesthetic total, ported existing number, Oregon bell-free figure to your smartphone. Rates start at $9.95 per month (unless you choose for a bell-free come, in which case they're higher).

THE SOFTWARE

When the day comes that you'Ra raking in six-figure profits, find free to splurge on pricey software packages like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop. Until then, there are unnumberable free or dirt-cheap alternatives that give you totally the productiveness tools you need to work your business.

For example, rather of Office, take open-source favourite OpenOffice or the more rich (yet very affordable) Kingsoft Situatio. Evening better, try a taint-based resolution like Google Docs OR Zoho. Need Visio? Use Lovely Charts rather.

In order of Photoshop, work your visualise-editing magic in Paint.NET — or use a browser-founded solution alike Sumo Key. And before you make on Norton Anti-Virus or another certificate software system, witness out how to keep all your work PCs safety-deposit with Microsoft Security Essentials. IT's time to abandon the mentality that running a business means paying for expensive "business" software.

YOUR TURN

Okay, startup experts — what money-economy solutions would you share with your new-business concern brethren?

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/469443/how_to_start_a_new_business_on_the_cheap_part_2.html

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