This is a list of services, software and online programs that can help run a small business smoothly and efficiently. There is a lot of choices and most are remarkably inexpensive. These are some tools I’ve come to rely on and recommend. (Full disclosure: If you click one of these links and signup for the service, in some instances I get compensated by the company.)
Bluehost
A great option for a first time website build, I have found this prices very reasonable and the customer service it top notch.
Dropbox
This is a great way to share a file with someone quickly and without worrying about “jamming” your email. You can create folders on your hard drive that not only allows you to share files with other Dropbox users, but you can access your folders from any computer, iPad or your phone. And it’s free!
LastPass
I don’t know where I would be without this one – if you have a lot of passwords – LastPass, an online password manager, is my best friend.
Once you install LastPass it tracks your passwords as you log in to online accounts and it stores and categorizes them. You can log out of LastPass with one click, leave your computer and no one else can log into your accounts.
Eventbrite
This is a powerful tool for managing and promoting your events. It’s easy to personalize the registration page to match your brand, the support staff is wonderful. I’ve used this for many client conference and webinars and it has saved me hours of development time.
Mailchimp
I love Mailchimp! My all time favorite tool for email newsletters and much more. Great support and easy platform to use – let’s me create exactly what I want.
Buffer
Buffer is a very popular tool that lets you create a queue of social media content. Write 20 Tweets, set a schedule for them to be posted and then watch as they are automatically uploaded over a given time period. It’s not just for Twitter though: it also supports Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn so that you can post across your social accounts simultaneously. This way you can save a lot of time and make sure that your account never goes quiet. It’s free to use but more features are available for those willing to pay.
Canva
Canva is a tool you can use to create beautiful, sharable graphics. It makes the process very quick and easy with a drag-and-drop interface and it also gives you access to a range of stock images. You can use it to create infographics but also banners and other images. You can try it for free but you’ll need to pay for more advanced features.
AWIN
AWIN is a great affiliate marketing link with many popular advertisers. One stop, great choices and reliable payments.
Buzz Sumo
Buzz Sumo lets you quickly find the most popular content for a given topic or website. This is very useful if you’re looking for hot topics to tweet about or to respond to, or for places to comment for that matter!
iWriter
Writer is an excellent service if you would like any content done. You can outsource articles, blog posts, reviews, ebooks and more.
Bitly
One of the original and most popular URL shorteners. Handy for sharing links when you don’t have much space, or for masking your URL if you should need to for whatever reason. Bitly also enables you to track clicks and give you stats.