6 amazing tech tools that can help you bootstrap
From a biz website to 'virtual' errand boys, you can have a suite of products and services almost for free. Here's a checklist of tech tools that will keep your business lean
July 08, 2013 / 15:44 IST
Deepa Krishnan
Whoever said there were no free lunches was a digital ignoramus. Smart use of technology can help you reduce costs considerably and work other wonders for an entrepreneur but the best tech tools usually come with a steep price tag. However, the Web is also choc-a-bloc with either free or inexpensive tools that are lapped up by start-ups and solo entrepreneurs who are bootstrapping their way forward.For the sceptic, yes, these Web products and applications work. Some of these tools come at very nominal costs while others are free. In fact, there's a new term doing the rounds in cyberspace – 'freemium services'. Many of these apps and products run free subscriptions and offer only premium services for a free. Of course, choosing ‘freemium’ does not automatically guarantee satisfaction. But for a fledgling entrepreneur, or one that wants to keep business lean, here's a list of useful tools that are much too efficient to pass up. They can help you function like a high-flying executive with an established business.Wix.com: There are a host of free website builders but the current favourite, according to e-commerce ratings, is wix.com. Here you can build a business website absolutely free of cost, no strings attached. The best part is, you can do it without adding a single line of code! All Wix websites are also search-engine friendly.MailChimp.com: This is a newsletter or marketing email platform, which is free for subscribers. When you have just started a business, why would you pay for a mass email providing platform that charges a fee? Besides, at this early stage, you wouldn’t have many email subscribers anyway. Using a free service like Mailchimp will not only give you time to build your customer base, it also offers a host of attractive features. It allows sharing on Twitter to widen your audience; comprehensive reports with an industry average of how many people open your emails; and makes sure your emails don't go into spam!Rapportive.com: Social Media is the buzz word today. So why not use the concept on your emails too? Rapportive is social Customer Relationship Manager for your email! It offers you social widgets with a mini-summary of the contact, including his social media handles. It even gives you their latest updates, which saves you so much time on the actual social media site. Entrepreneurs receive dozens of email enquiries. It is not always appropriate to do a social media background check on all of them. Rapportive trawls their social media accounts, finds out what they do, where they are from and other useful information.99designs.com: If you're looking for someone to design a logo for you, your visiting cards, brochures and other communication material on a shoestring budget, then 99designs offers a unique way to do this. All you have to do is sign up, and offer a good brief and a budget. Designs will start pouring in. This is a portal for freelance design professionals and you could get great work done – very cheap.O Desk / Freelancer.in: These two are great websites for any kind of freelance work you’re looking to get done. They are also inexpensive for start-ups that want to keep their staff lean.getmypeon.com: This one is a classic! If you need an office boy to run errands for you but don't have enough work to actually hire one on a regular basis, this is a great idea. With this tool, you can get someone to run all sorts of errands. This tool is currently available only in Mumbai.You can send your feedback on smementor@moneycontrol.com or simply post comments below Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
