7 Essential Resources for Small Business

So you want to start a business but you don't have a lot of money? Start your business online, and it won't be a problem. There are some pretty terrific resources you can use. Some of them you have to pay for, but they are inexpensive and can get you started quickly and easily. A domain and web hosting. If you want others to see you as a professional and take you seriously, then you need to invest in your own domain and web hosting. Purchased separately, the cost can add up very quickly. Here are some very low cost solutions to help you put your name on the map. Dot Easy - http://www.godaddy.com - Although as far as I know they offer domain names for the cheapest price on the Internet at $6.95, their service is pretty good. I buy all of my domains here, and I've never had any problems. Free Web Space - http://www.evrsoft.com. While you're there, make sure you check out the free metatag creator, as well as some of the other great free online tools you'll find there. 3. Scripts. If you want to get the most from your web site, scripts will help you do this. You don't have to be an expert in installation either. You can quickly and easily learn how to install them. I taught myself from reading some of the webmaster sites online. You have two choices when it comes to installing scripts on your site: You can install them yourself, or you can use remotely hosted scripts. Remotely hosted scripts are great when you don't have a CGI bin on your site. This site is offering scripts for free: http://www.cgiextremes.com/ http://www.cgispy.com http://www.getresponse.com/ http://www.pertinent.com - Offers a free press release creator, as well as a sales letter generator. Free Online Wizards - http://www.formatit.com - Tired of getting emails with a ton of >>>>> in them? You can use this site to strip those tags out, as well as reformat your emails to any width. Great for formatting articles too. 6. Business Software. You can find thousands of dollars in free software to help you build your business by searching through software sites online. My favorite is Freeware Home: http://www.openoffice.org - Formerly Star Office, this open source application is the best rival to Microsoft Office. You can use it to do everything from convert your documents to PDF, to word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. There's also a version for MAC, making this a must see application when you can't afford other expensive applications. Banana Cash Books - http://www.my1stbusiness.com - Run by Ben Botes, you'll find plenty of ecourses, seminars and more covering small business, ecommerce, marketing, and other topics. You need to sign up for an account, but it's free, and definitely worth a look. Free Marketing Resources - http://www.ebookdirectory.com - Run by Noel Hynes, this is the most comprehensive collection of small business and Internet marketing ebooks on the Internet, and they're absolutely free. You'll also find plenty of other ebooks here including motivational, writing, and a whole lot more. There are plenty of free resources on the Internet to help you build your business. The trick is learning when you should buy products and services for your business and when you can get a freebie that will do the job just as well and sometimes better. A quick search of Alexa,