Selling online is getting easier and easier every day, from a technical point of view, because the technology to handle online transactions (like online

Ways to Save Money for Small Business
Save money with smart spending habits that will lower costs and ultimately lead to bigger profits and higher earnings for your small business.
Cost cutting hacks for business can be a bit paradoxical. It's often necessary to spend money to save time. Be prepared to spend a bit on tools and services that save time, increase productivity, improve efficiencies and ultimately save money.
OK, so it's not always about time.
Top 5 Ways to Save Money
Click on any link below to find useful hints, hacks and tips for saving money on business expenses.
Sometimes it's just about knowing where or when to buy cheap, high quality goods and services that offer the best value for money.
1. Save Money on Marketing & Advertising
Marketing (and advertising) a startup is extremely high risk because of the high costs involved and no guarantees on return. Fortunately, with a little bit of creativity, it's possible to get some pretty effective buzz and visibility without breaking the bank.
1.1. Integrate Marketing with Everything
There should be almost no aspect of your business that doesn't tell people what you're about. If a customer makes a purchase, then include a pamphlet or brochure offering them new deals in the packaging.
Digital Marketing Tools to Use Daily
Generate explosive growth using the top digital marketing tools to drive more traffic & convert better.
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SEO & Competitor Research with SEMRush
SEMRush allows you to discover competitors ranking in Google.
Analyze the top ranked sites in your niche to understand how and why they are dominating.
Analyze a competitor right now.
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SEMRush (SEO)
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SocialPilot (Social)
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AWeber (Email)
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HubSpot (Inbound)
Have a customer service query to handle? Do your best to resolve it as positively as possible and then, once the customer is happy, ask them to recommend your business on to their friends and family. In fact, customer service is one of the best marketing opportunities available to you.
1.2. Use Free Ad Budgets
Did you know that signing up to Bing or Google's consoles for webmasters often causes them to push an offer of free online advertising. Here's what I got offered from Bing:
$100 in free search advertising is great - remember that Google will also make a similar offer too for first time business webmasters. Admittedly, $100 might not last long if you're competing for high value keywords, but it will give your company name and brand exposure on thousands of low value queries.
1.3. Be Newsworthy
Offering free use of your service, or a free product giveaway is a great way to generate interest and buzz without having to spend more than the cost of a single product or account. What's nice about this tactic is that combined with a well constructed press release, the promotion might end up getting free, local news coverage.
Press Release Quick Start
Learn how to write a press release that gets publicity every time.
Do something for your community. Help out on a local project. Be a sponsor (often sponsoring smaller events costs very little). Your imagination is the limit.
2. Save Money on Web Design
Everyone needs a website; regardless of whether it's a simple place-holder page, something to show off your resume and portfolio, an eCommerce store, or even a community portal. There's a lot to be said for learning Web design basics, but don't waste time with unnecessary custom design or learning how to code yourself.
2.1. Plan First; Build Second
90% of the wasteful expenditure I have encountered in the world of business websites came about because of a lack of research. Instead of taking time to understand their own requirements, companies simply approached Web designers and paid them huge amounts to create flashy custom sites that were soon out of date and even more expensive to maintain.
Think about what you need. Then research what is available - you'll be amazed at how cheap and efficient modern online site builders are. Only then are you ready to get started.
2.2. Use Free Trials
Almost all online website builders offer free trials (usually lasting about 2 weeks), or a free basic account (with paid upgrades). This means that you can at least get online for free initially, and only pay once the site is established.
Free Website Builder Trials
Update or migrate your business site with one of the world's leading free online website builder trials.
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WordPress
WordPress powers approximately one third of all websites on the Internet.
It's free, quick & easy to use. Popular with both small and large blog sites because of the short learning curve and huge range of services - from domains to responsive templates.
Create a beautiful new website in seconds. No experience needed.
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WooCommerce (Store)
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Shopify (Store)
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Wix (Professional)
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Weebly (Professional)
2.3. Free Website Software can be Expensive
Free CMS (Content Management System) software like WordPress and Drupal offer a fantastic free framework for creating powerful, professional and flexible websites. But, there are plenty of hidden costs here...
Chances are that your website will need a customized theme in order to have a unique look and feel that promotes the brand. Either this has to be purchased, or a Web designer has to be paid to customize a free theme.
Then, once the site has been completed it needs to be hosted somewhere. Decent Web hosting that comes with a bit of support has a habit of costing lots. By contrast, cheap Web hosting might save money but it can cost a lot more in terms of reliability - it's easy to lose business when your site spends most of its time offline.
Domain name purchases. SSL certificates. Support. Maintenance and upgrades. All of these have either explicit, once-off costs, costs that are built-in to other costs, or are recurring. Be careful not to underestimate these.
3. Save Money on Software & Tech
We pay for expensive software that often has completely free alternatives, and many of these free alternatives are as good, if not better, than the commercial version. New technologies crop up every day that offer huge advantages in efficiency and productivity at drastically reduced costs. It's up to you to find them.
3.1. Use Open Source Alternatives
Don't feel like buying Microsoft Office? Why not take a look at the freely available Open office.
Check out this list of free business software for you to explore and use without incurring any costs at all.
3.2. Move to the Cloud
Traditional software packages come with a host of built in expenses that online, cloud based software solutions don't. For example, buying a software DVD from the store means that there were manufacturing costs, packaging costs, and transport costs built into getting that item to the shop (let alone the retail markup).
Cloud Software Quick Start
Trial Microsoft Office 365 for free for 30 days and setup cloud based office software in minutes.
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Office 365
Office 365 is the most widely used cloud based office & email software controlling over 25% of the market.
Office 365 takes traditional office software like Outlook and bundles it into an online cloud service that can be accessed from anywhere, any time.
The perfect office software solution for any business already familiar with Microsoft.
A cloud based company has hardware and network costs, sure, but these are significantly lower and getting lower all the time. They also have no middleman. They are much more flexible too - often charging you only for the functionality and data you use - instead of putting everything onto a DVD.
Cloud software is also updated behind the scenes on a continuous basis, unlike purchased software that is either subject to inconvenient updates, or may simply become redundant over time. It's not only cheaper it's better value for money.
3.3. Embrace New Technology
One of the best examples of how new technology (in recent times) has helped produce massive increases in efficiency, ease-of-use, and effectiveness along with huge decreases in cost comes from the communications industry.
Previously, companies needing complex phone based communications would have to install a hardware based PBX system. This was both extremely expensive, highly-technical and generally prohibitive to any business without serious finances. Now you can do a better job, in twenty minutes, using an online cloud based virtual PBX system for a fraction of the cost and without requiring any technical expertise.
That's just one example.
Delivery Optimization
Slash transport and delivery costs using cutting edge heuristic software apps like Optergon.
New technologies are springing up everywhere to replace old, manual, hardware based systems with slick, online apps at a fraction of the cost. Make it a point to keep tabs on what new offerings are coming online.
4. Save Money on Staff & Admin
There are two fundamental ways to save money on human resources:
- Automate more
- Pay less
Fortunately, there are some very easy ways to achieve both.
4.1. Use Online Freelancers
There are a lot of online marketplaces, like Freelancer and Fiverr, that help connect people who need work done with people who have the skills and knowledge to do it. What's good about these platforms is that they generate a lot of competition - meaning that you can get great work done at a fraction of the price it would cost locally.
The downside is that until there are established relationships with reliable freelancers, it may be that the quality of the work done is not what you expect.
4.2. Automate with Online Productivity Tools
There are vast communities of developers working to integrate apps and services into online platforms.
Small Business Accounting Quick Start
Benefit from enhanced speed and automation using cloud based accounting software like FreshBooks.
A good example is the eCommerce industry, where it is now possible to integrate an online store with a host of other cloud based productivity tools in order to manage everything from tax and accounting to stock control and order fulfilment.
5. Save Money on Office Equipment
Computers, printers, desks, chairs, and all sorts of other gadgets and accessories are going to cost you. There's no way to avoid forking out for these items because they are basic essentials.
However, there is a lot of competition in the electronics and office furniture industries, and with great competition comes greats deals, sales, and prices.
It's very likely that at any given time leading office supply stores like Staples, Amazon office, and Office Depot are offering discounts on different items. Checking back in a few days time might bring a whole new spectrum of savings on other products.
The disadvantage to this strategy is that you may not end up buying what you need immediately - having to wait a little while before it comes on special.
On the plus side, because you are buying new items (at marked down prices), you'll still qualify for any guarantees and warranties that come with the new products. Not often the case buying second hand goods.
6. Bonus Ways to Save Money
Plenty of our readers have fantastic tips and ideas that they have used to save money in their own businesses. Here's a selection of some of the best ideas we've seen (be sure to check back regularly as we'll keep this updated as new ones come in):
- Don't pay cash for business expenses: Keep a paper trail of business related costs so that you can write these off as business expenses and reduce your tax bill.
- Research associations and rewards programs: While it may cost a bit upfront, finding the right rewards program or business association can end up saving on a wide range of business expenses, like insurance and travel.
- Don't overpay on postage: Ensure you always pay precisely the right amount in postage stamps in order to avoid overspending or having products returned without being delivered - useful for eCommerce stores shipping items via USPS.
Have you bootstrapped a startup? How did you get through the tough times when money was short? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments.
Organic search traffic from Google is so valuable that many businesses come to rely on it as their primary source of income.
And while it may seem that the sun will never set on high converting organic traffic from the search giant, you might want to think about what would happen to your enterprise if the flow dried up.
I've experienced both the frustration and despair of losing Google traffic to an unknown and unexplained penalty (only large, important businesses get the information they need to recover in a matter of days or weeks), but have also seen how other companies have thrived without Google entirely.
Ever wondered just how much you can earn in a career working from home? The answer is millions of dollars - if you've got what it takes.
The SBA (Small Business Administration) is a United States government department tasked with supporting and nurtur
There's nothing worse than finding out your business website has been hacked and is being used to send out bulk emails, spam visitors, or spread malicious software.
If it hasn't happened to you, don't fall into the trap of thinking that this scenario is something that happens to other people. Spam hacks are absolutely rampant.
Fortunately, the business model of spammers requires them, more often than not, to automate their hacks to seek out vulnerable Web servers and sites, because they have to do things on a huge scale to turn a profit.
Fiverr is an online marketplace offering a huge range of services (from the sublime to the ridiculous) that startups can utilize, for only five dollars.
If you're wondering what service could possibly offer any value for only $5, then you are in exactly the same boat I was.
Most of the services (called gigs) that are available on fiverr are probably not even worth the five bucks they charge. But, if you are willing to dig a bit deeper, there are a few gems that can save you a lot of time and money.
In case you haven't already heard, there's a little kitty out there with feline dwarfism that earns more than you do.
Grumpy cat, according to Wikipedia, seems to be raking in millions of dollars, and this might strike you as odd given how difficult it is to start a successful enterprise these days.
Despite spending most of my time working on my own startups, I find myself drawn to reading about what other people are up to, or making use of - whether it
Crowdfunding is a relatively novel way for startups and entrepreneurs to raise money to support their fledgling companies - and sometimes it actually works.
Here are some great ideas that incorporate free stuff (products and services) in order to generate trust, improve revenue and grow your business.
Most consumers like getting free stuff (especially online consumers), so giving away a valuable free offering can help to drive traffic, generate buzz, earn trust, and make money.
This article will give you five great ideas for free product and service offerings that you can integrate into an existing organization or use to help grow a startup.
Think of the Internet economy as a farmer’s field full of little green plants. Each plant represents a business, and the stuff that makes them grow is traffic (just like rain makes real plants grow).
Now, imagine that in between the rain clouds and our fledgling plants, there is a huge funnel that collects the rain and pours it over the field. Let’s call this funnel Google.
Google’s job is to make sure that all the sprouts get a fair share of water (provided they are of good quality), and that any weeds that are harmful to the ecosystem aren’t watered. All day long Google funnels rain onto various different plants in order to help them grow.
Being an entrepreneur is something that should be encouraged and nurtured in everyone from an early age - especially in a country like the U.S. where the economy relies on small business.
Every school and university should offer a range of courses designed to empower young people to take an idea and turn it into a profitable enterprise, with confidence and competence.
Sadly, most educational institutes seem intent on sticking to dry, academic curricula that might teach young minds how to think, but don't prepare them for the harsh realities of the real world.