7 free tools to help you grow your small business

Happy Small Business Week to all of the small businesses across Canada! We are celebrating YOU this week and everything that you have accomplished. In our last post of our small business series (read our other posts 8 Ways You Can Help Small Businesses in Your Community and Support Small Business Week: Why It’s More Important Now Than Ever Before) for the BDC Small Business Week, we are featuring 7 free tools to help you grow your small business.

Wave

Wave is a simple accounting and financial software that is designed to help small businesses manage their money smarter. The free version has a wide-variety of functions, including: creating and managing invoices, managing receipts, building reports, tracking expenses, and accepting customer and client payments (just to name a few).

Learn more about Wave here.

Hootsuite

We are big fans of Hootsuite. Hootsuite allows for social media content management across multiple platforms in one, easy-to-access online space. You can schedule posts in advance, curate content, and access analytics with ease. The free version allows you to manage up to 3 social media networks. So, you can choose your three top-engaging networks and start building out your social media strategy.

Learn more about Hootsuite here.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a web-based email marketing software that provides loads of free, user-friendly features. Keep your customers and clients connected to your business by sending out awesome promotional emails and materials, which are easily designed and delivered through the platform. Other functions include setting up mailing lists and building marketing campaigns. Mailchimp has been the leading email marketing software for years – and, we can definitely understand why.

See for yourself and learn more about Mailchimp here.

Planoly

Wondering how to curate your Instagram feed so that it gets an A+ in aesthetic? Getting your Instagram to appear more cohesive can be a total game changer. For small businesses that are more visual in nature – flower shops, bakeries, catering companies (to name a few) – having a well-done feed can attract new customers and clients. All it takes is a bit of time to plan and some great content to get started. Plan out your posts through Planoly, which is a visual tool to help plan and schedule your social media content. It shows your feed as it would appear on a phone so that you have an accurate picture of how your business is being perceived by others.

Learn more about Planoly here.

Grammarly App

Good communication is imperative for businesses. When communicating with your clients and customers, you want to demonstrate professionalism – which starts with good grammar skills. The Grammarly App allows you to respond to customers and clients through your phone, ensuring that everything you write comes across the way you intend.

Get the Grammarly App here.

Zoho CRM

Managing customer relationships is critical. Zoho CRM is one of the leading CRM solutions on the market. Manage your sales, marketing, and support in one comprehensive CRM platform. Ensure that no leads are slipping through the cracks with efficient contact management. Zoho CRM has an abundance of amazing, free features that are sure to help any small business or team to grow.

Discover all of Zoho CRM’s features here.

Square

Taking payments from your customers or clients, but want an affordable and portable solution? Square is a free POS software that comes with a free magstripe reader you can pop into your phone or tablet. They charge a 2.75% transaction fee for each payment process, but other than that the software and equipment is at no cost to you. Bonus features include access to your analytics, reporting, a basic CRM, and inventory management.

Try Square here.

Having the right tools in place for your small business can help your business to grow efficiently and with ease. Try out some of our favourite free tools today. Do you use a free tool we haven’t featured here? Let us know what it is and what you love about it in the comments section below.

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