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Get Help With Your Plan To help you write your business plan, we've compiled a list of the resources that will put you on the right track.

Mar 2, 2001

By the time you've read this guide and tried your hand at a few of the various components of a plan, you should be ready to go ahead and complete your own. However, there's always room for improvement, and there are a number of resources you can tap into to increase your expertise in plan writing.

Hiring a Consultant Businesspeople tend to fall into two camps when it comes to consultants. Some believe strongly in the utility and value of hiring outside experts to bring new perspective and broad knowledge to challenging tasks. Others feel consultants are overpaid yes-men brought in only to endorse plans already decided on or to take the heat for unpopular but necessary decisions.

Who's right? Both are, depending on the consultant you hire and your purpose for hiring one. Most consultants are legitimate experts in specific or general business areas. And most consultants can be hired to help with all or part of the process of writing a business plan.

The downside is, you have to spend a lot of time on communication before and during the process of working with a consultant. Be sure you have fully explained--and the consultant fully understands--the nature of your business, your concept and strategy, your financial needs, and other matters such as control, future plans and so on. Refer to these important issues throughout the process--you don't want to pay for a beautifully done plan that fits somebody else's business, not yours. And when the work is done, debrief the consultant to find out if there is anything you can learn that wasn't included in the plan.

If you decide to hire a consultant to help you prepare your plan, take care to select the right person. Here are some guidelines:

1. Get referrals. Ask colleagues, acquaintances and professionals such as bankers, accountants and lawyers for the names of business plan consultants they recommend. A good referral goes a long way to easing any concerns you may have. Few consultants advertise anyway, so referrals may be your only choice.

2. Look for a fit. Find a consultant who is expert in helping businesses like yours. Ideally, the consultant should have lots of experience with companies of similar size and age in similar industries. Avoid general business experts or those who lack experience in your field.

3. Check references. Get the names of at least three clients the consultant has helped to write plans. Call the former clients and ask about the consultant's performance. Was the consultant's final fee in line with the original estimate? Was the plan completed on time? Did it serve the intended purpose?

4. Get it in writing. Have a legal contract for the consultant's services. It should discuss in detail the fee, when it will be paid and under what circumstances. And make sure you get a detailed written description of what the consultant must do to earn the fee. Whether it's an hourly rate or a flat fee isn't as important as each party knowing exactly what's expected of them.

Organizations

• Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs): SBDCs offer a wide variety of information and guidance to individuals and small businesses. If you need help developing your business plan, the SBDC counselors can help by offering assistance with market research, cash-flow projections and more. And, in most cases, the help is free.
• SCORE : The Service Corps of Retired Executives, more commonly known as SCORE, is a nonprofit group of mostly retired businesspeople who volunteer to provide counseling to small businesses at no charge. A program of the SBA, SCORE has been around since 1964 and has helped millions of entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs.

SCORE is a source for all kinds of business advice, from how to write a business plan to investigating marketing potential and managing cash flow. SCORE counselors work out of hundreds of local chapters throughout the United States. You can obtain a referral to a counselor in your local chapter by contacting the national office.

• National Business Incubation Association : The NBIA is the national organization for business incubators, which are organizations specially set up to nurture young firms and help them survive and grow. Incubators provide leased office facilities on flexible terms, shared business services, management assistance, help in obtaining financing, and technical support. Its services include providing a directory to local incubators and their services.
• Chamber of commerce : The many chambers of commerce throughout the United States are organizations devoted to providing networking, lobbying, training and more. If you think chambers are all about having lunch with a bunch of community boosters, think again. Among the services the U.S. Chamber of Commerce offers is a web-based business solutions program that provides online help with specific small-business needs, including planning, marketing and other tasks such as creating a press release, collecting a bad debt, recruiting employees or creating a retirement plan.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the umbrella organization for local chambers. If you plan on doing business overseas, don't forget to check for an American Chamber of Commerce in the countries where you hope to have a presence. They are set up to provide information and assistance to U.S. firms seeking to do business there. Many, but not all, countries have American Chambers.

Government Agencies

• Copyright Clearance Center
• Copyright Office, Library of Congress
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Commerce
• Department of Energy
• Department of Interior
• Department of Labor
• Department of Treasury
• Export-Import Bank of the United States
• Internal Revenue Service
• Patent and Trademark Office
• Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents
• Securities and Exchange Commission
• Small Business Administration
• SBA Small Business Development Centers

State Commerce Departments

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Software and Books

• Entrepreneur Magazine's Business Plan Pro from Entrepreneur Magazine
• Business Plan Writer Deluxe from Nova Development
• Business Plans for Dummies by Paul Tiffany, Ph.D., and Steven D. Peterson, Ph.D.
• Business Plans Kit for Dummies (with CD-ROM) by Paul Tiffany, Ph.D., and Steven D. Peterson, Ph.D.
• Creating a Successful Business Plan from Entrepreneur Press
• The Ernst & Young Business Plan Guide by Eric S. Siegel, Brian R. Ford and Jay M. Bornstein
• Rules Book of Business Plans by Roger C. Rule
• Start Your Own Business by Rieva Lesonsky
• The Successful Business Plan: Secrets and Strategies by Rhonda Abrams
• Writing a Convincing Business Plan by Arthur L DeThomas, Ph.D., and Lin Grensing Pophal

Miss any sections of our Business Plan How-To? Read our entire how-to:

• An Introducton to Business Plans
• Plan Your Plan
• Elements of a Business Plan
• Get Help With Your Plan

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WHO BENEFITS FROM Plannit?

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Problem Statement

Business Description

Mission Statement

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Additional Features

Revenue Model

Market Analysis

Target Market

Market Size and Segments

Unique Value Proposition

Risks and Mitigations

Identified Risks

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Financial Overview

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Modify and regenerate sections of your business plan using premade or custom prompts. Our AI will help you refine your plan to perfection.

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PLANNIT BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a business plan and why is it important.

• Initiate with Your Business Concept: Lay the Groundwork: Start by introducing your business idea into Plannit AI's Business Plan Generator. This first step is crucial, as it sets the tone for a tailored, insightful business plan that truly resonates with your vision. Capture the Essence: Our platform is designed to grasp the nuances of your concept, ensuring that the generated plan accurately reflects the core and potential of your business.
• Navigate Through the AI-Guided Questionnaire: Tailored Interactive Experience: Plannit AI’s AI-guided questionnaire is your interactive guide through the planning process. It meticulously gathers information about your business's objectives, strategies, and market positioning, ensuring a comprehensive and reflective plan. Intelligent Feedback and Suggestions: As you progress through the questionnaire, benefit from smart prompts and suggestions, ensuring that your plan is not just detailed but also strategically sound and aligned with industry standards.
• Generate Your Plan with Advanced AI: Intuitive Plan Creation: With the questionnaire complete, Plannit AI's advanced algorithms intelligently analyze your responses. They then craft a detailed, customizable, and strategically aligned business plan, providing you with a structured, coherent, and actionable format. Benefit from AI-Powered Insights: Plannit AI offers AI-driven insights and suggestions, ensuring your plan is not just a document but a strategic tool equipped with tailored AI prompts and an in-app plan editor. Get inspired by browsing through our sample business plans, a collection of successful strategies across various industries.
• Finalize Your Plan with Confidence: Dynamic Adaptation and Refinement: Plannit AI recognizes that a business plan is a living document. Our platform allows for continuous adaptation and refinement, ensuring your strategy remains agile, relevant, and aligned with your evolving business goals. Professional Presentation and Sharing: Once your plan meets your standards, utilize Plannit AI's export features to present your plan professionally. Choose between various formats for exporting your business plan, ready to impress stakeholders, attract investors, or guide your team. Review and Adapt: Ensure your business plan is a living document, ready to evolve with your growing business. Plannit AI's dynamic platform allows you to adapt your strategy as new opportunities or challenges arise.

How to Write a Business Plan?

• Roadmap for Success: At its core, a business plan acts as a strategic guide, providing detailed steps on how your business will achieve its objectives. It helps you navigate the startup phase, manage growth effectively, and tackle unforeseen challenges with a well-thought-out strategy.
• Securing Funding: For startups and businesses looking to expand, a business plan is crucial for securing loans or attracting investors. It demonstrates to potential financial backers that your business has a clear vision, a solid strategy for profitability, and a plan for delivering returns on their investment.
• Informed Decision-Making: A well-prepared business plan offers valuable insights into your market, competition, and potential challenges. This information is vital for making informed decisions, from day-to-day operations to long-term strategic shifts.
• Market Analysis and Strategy: It allows you to conduct an in-depth analysis of your target market, understand customer needs, and position your product or service effectively. The marketing strategy outlined in your business plan helps in identifying the best channels and tactics to reach your audience and achieve market penetration.
• Financial Planning: One of the most critical components of a business plan is the financial forecast. It outlines your funding requirements, expected revenue, profit margins, and cash flow projections. This section is essential for budgeting, financial management, and ensuring the financial viability of your business.
• Goal Setting and Performance Measurement: A business plan sets clear, measurable goals and objectives. It provides a framework for monitoring performance, measuring success, and making necessary adjustments to stay on track.

Who Can Benefit from Plannit AI?

• Aspiring Entrepreneurs: If you're at the idea stage, looking to transform your vision into a viable business, Plannit AI offers the tools and guidance to bring your concept to life. Our platform helps you articulate your business idea, define your target market, and develop a solid plan to turn your dream into reality.
• Students and Educators: For students delving into the intricacies of business planning and educators teaching the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, Plannit AI serves as an invaluable resource. It provides a practical, hands-on tool for learning and teaching how to create detailed business plans, analyze markets, and understand financials in a real-world context.
• Startup Founders: In the dynamic startup environment, Plannit AI is the ideal partner for founders looking to pivot quickly, secure funding, or understand their competitive landscape. With our AI-driven insights and market analysis tools, startups can make informed decisions and adapt their strategies to thrive in competitive markets.
• Small Business Owners: For small business owners seeking to optimize their operations, expand their customer base, or explore new markets, Plannit AI offers targeted solutions. Our platform simplifies the planning process, enabling owners to focus on growth while managing the day-to-day challenges of running their business.
• Consultants and Freelancers: Consultants and freelancers specializing in business development, strategic planning, or financial advising will find Plannit AI a powerful addition to their toolkit. It allows them to provide clients with comprehensive, data-driven business plans and strategies, enhancing the value of their services.
• Non-Profit Organizations: Leaders of non-profit organizations can leverage Plannit AI to plan initiatives, secure funding, and manage resources more efficiently. Our platform helps non-profits articulate their mission, set achievable goals, and measure their impact, ensuring they can make a difference in their communities.
• Innovators and Inventors: Individuals looking to commercialize innovative products or technologies can use Plannit AI to navigate the complexities of bringing new ideas to market. From patent strategies to go-to-market plans, our platform covers all bases, ensuring innovators can focus on what they do best.
• Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and Government Agencies: Government and SBA backed entities can greatly benefit from integrating Plannit AI into their services, enhancing their ability to support a larger number of clients more efficiently. By facilitating quicker, more in-depth business plan development, these organizations can spend more time assisting with plan execution and less time on creation, ultimately serving their communities more effectively.
• Anyone with a Business Idea: Ultimately, Plannit AI is for anyone with a business idea, regardless of industry, experience, or stage of business development. Our mission is to democratize business planning, making it accessible, understandable, and actionable for everyone.

Why is Plannit AI the best choice for an AI business planning software?

• Interactive Questionnaire and ChatGPT Integration: Plannit AI transforms the business planning process into an engaging conversation. Through our advanced ChatGPT integration, we offer a questionnaire that dynamically adapts to your responses, ensuring your plan is personalized, comprehensive, and aligned with your business goals.
• Dynamic Planning Environment: Unlike static templates provided by many, Plannit AI introduces a living platform that grows with your business. It features real-time updates, strategic insights, and a feedback mechanism that keeps your business plan current and actionable.
• Extensive Educational Resources: Our Education Center is packed with articles, guides, and sample plans to bolster your planning process. It's designed to arm you with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of your industry confidently.
• Enhanced Collaboration and Customization: Recognizing the collaborative essence of business planning, Plannit AI supports team efforts with multi-user editing, annotations, and feedback features, ensuring a comprehensive approach to your strategy.
• Customer Success Stories: Our users' achievements are a testament to Plannit AI's effectiveness. These success stories illustrate how diverse businesses have utilized our platform for strategic planning and growth.
• Tailored Business Plan Creation: Our platform stands out with its tailored approach, featuring customizable templates that directly cater to your business type and industry, making plan creation straightforward and relevant.

How can ChatGPT help me to create business plans?

• Content Generation:: ChatGPT helps draft various sections of a business plan, from executive summaries to marketing strategies, by providing structured and coherent text based on the prompts given.
• Strategic Insights: It can offer suggestions on business strategies by analyzing trends and providing examples from a wide range of industries.
• Financial Planning: While it can't replace professional financial advice, ChatGPT can guide the structure of financial projections and statements, helping you consider important financial aspects of your plan.

Take The First Step Towards Success With our AI-Generated Business Plans

Plannit For...

Best business plan software of 2024

For planning your business finance

Best overall

Best budget, best established, best for speed.

• How we test

The best business plan software makes it simple and easy to plan your business finances in order to present them to a bank or investors.

1. Best overall 2. Best budget 3. Best basic 4. Best established 5. Best for speed 6. FAQs 7. How we test

The whole point of a business plan is that it allows you to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, not least via your Unique Selling Point (USP) ,and make product or service comparisons with competitors.

Of course, even the best business plan relies on estimates and guesstimates, as it's impossible to predict market changes, developments, and future performance under such conditions. 

Ultimately, though, a business plan will demonstratively prove why your business is a solid enough investment to risk putting money into, and shows that you have properly and thoroughly researched your market, and details the real potential of a new business opportunities.

Here then are the best business plan software providers currently available.

You may also be interested in our featured business guides on best business laptops , best business computers and best business smartphones .

The best business plan software of 2024 in fill:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

Bizplan is the online business planning tool that claims usage of 30,000 startup founders from the Startups.co platform. They use a guided creator that can break the big project down into the component pieces that get tracked with a Progress Tracker, and expert guidance each step of the way including templates that can be dropped in, and completed, along with simple integration of visuals along the way.

Additional resources are also provided via the Bizplan Academy, with lessons on relevant topics, for example, “Building a Brand: How to Tell a Powerful Brand Story,” and “Critical Path Your Way to Higher Revenues,” among the many offerings. Those that need even more assistance also can take advantage of an expert consultation from a financial expert.

• ^ Back to the top

2. PlanGuru

PlanGuru is a comprehensive, and powerful software package in the business planning space. Education is provided via a series of case studies at their PlanGuru University and a whole slew of video tutorials.

The feature set includes flexible budgeting that can handle a simple small business, or a larger multi-department operating budget, and financial forecasting that uses multiple methods, including intelligent and turn-key methods - twenty methods in total. Historical results can also be imported with the general ledger import utility which can then applied to produce a rolling forecast. They also offer PlanGuru Launch, a service to bring in expertise and is charged per hour of assistance.

A significant downside is Planguru charges a higher cost than other software options. The cheapest option is around $75 per month for one business entity when billed annually. While there is no free trial, PlanGuru does offer a 30 day money back guarantee. 

Our expert review:

Enloop is a great choice for business planning software for the cash strapped business as it is the rare offering that has a free tier. Step up up to the next tier, and this is no barebones product, as it has over 100 currency symbols, can automatically generate bank-ready financial reports, and even has automated text writing that can sync with financial data to turn it into text. There is also a real time performance score assigned, that dynamically changes as the business plan is strengthened.  

The plans start with the Free tier, which is limited to a single business plan with simple text, no images, and does not offer any advanced features. The next plan up is the Detailed plan, that supports three business plans, and offers a significant 55% discount when paid annually, making it even better value. This plan costs around $20 per month. For a more comprehensive package you can buy the Performance plan costing around $40 per month.

Read our full Enloop business plan software review .

4. LivePlan

LivePlan is business planning software that offers a simple pricing scheme as there is only a single plan to choose from. As they have a 15+ year track record, they offer a clean and simple interface, that can create business plans that look like they were done by an expert consultant, and the software includes a live dashboard that can track day-to-day performance. Those with writer’s block will benefit from the over 500 included sample plans that can be turned to for inspiration.  

Rather than complicate things with too many tiers to choose from, LivePlan only has a single plan which can be paid for monthly or annually.

5. Business Sorter

Business Sorter promises to simplify and speed up business planning and claims to be able to flesh out a plan in an hour or two, via a novel 273 card sort system that covers many common situations.

The ability to reword cards is included, or also to add cards to the already expansive deck, so no worries if there is not a pre-made card for your situation. Unlike some sites that have videos, the educational resources here are provided as PDFs and Word files, which can be quicker to access, but harder to follow for some learners. 

The lowest tier plan, Basic is fully featured, and includes up to three team leaders. 

Read our full Business Sorter review .

Other business plan software to consider

We've only covered some of the most popular business plan software platforms out there, but there are a number of other notables worth mentioning, plus a wide variety of providers of business plan templates. Below we'll briefly cover a range of some of the additional options out there that are worth considering to get your business plan right.

Go Business Plans is more of a consultancy than a software solution, but is worth mentioning for the simple fact that it's one of America's biggest business plan companies. While software might be able to do the job for you, if you're looking for significant funding, it's probably useful to get some professional advice, not least in terms of strategic planning, feasibility studies, and financial projections to ensure you have a solid base for your business plan.

Wise Business Plans provides a very wide range of templates to work from in constructing a business plan. These are particularly designed with funding in mind, no matter what kind of business you run. What is especially helpful is that Wise doesn’t simply deal with business plan templates for a diverse range of business types, the company also provides plan templates for franchises and non-profits.

Plan Writers  is another bespoke service that essentially listens to what you want and then puts the plan together for you. Again, this technically falls outside of business plan "software", but the chances are you'll use a software package as a platform to build from, and Plan Writers can then help you build up from that base.

Bplans is another provider of business plan templates, but goes beyond that with additional pitch and SWOT analysis templates. There are also business plan guides, industry reports, and a free course on writing a business plan. Bplans also publishes a lot of free-to-use articles on business planning, financials, and tax reporting, to help ensure you can keep your figures and projections accurate and compliant.

We've also listed the best free software for small business .

A business plan is essentially your roadmap to profitability from an initial investment. Whether it's your own money, or a loan from a bank, it's still a good idea to set up a business plan for yourself.

Main things to look to are a SWOT analysis to provide an idea of your business idea's strengths and weaknesses, as well as identify a unique selling point (USP) that will give your business an edge.

While business plans inevitably demand the use of figures, and while these can be impossible to be accurate with, at least by making intelligent guesses you can set yourself targets to work towards.

That's another common feature of a plan, so that specific periods you can review your business progress and make adjustments to your plan as required. This allows you to use real figures for your projections, allowing you to better plan ahead.

Which business plan software is best for you?

When deciding which business plan software to use, first consider what your actual needs are, as sometimes free platforms may only provide basic options, so if you need to use advanced tools you may find a paid platform is much more worthwhile. Additionally, free and budget software options can sometimes prove limited when it comes to the variety of tools available, while higher-end software can really cater for every need, so do ensure you have a good idea of which features you think you may require.

How we tested the best business plan software

To test for the best business plan software we first set up an account with the relevant software platform, whether as a download or as an online service. We then tested the service to see how the software could be used for different purposes and in different situations. The aim was to push each business plan software platform to see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced tools.

Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar .

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40 Small Business Freebies, Tools and Resources For Your Company

We are committed to sharing unbiased reviews. Some of the links on our site are from our partners who compensate us. Read our editorial guidelines and advertising disclosure .

When you’re a small business owner, saving money is always at the top of your to-do list. 

Free resources, apps, programs, and online tools can help you better manage your business - without breaking the bank. 

Many companies offer free trials or a free version of their product, hoping you’ll upgrade to the premium tier as your business grows. 

There’s also a few free things - yes, physical objects - you can get as a small business owner. 

Let’s dive in. 

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Free stuff for small business owners

Most companies don’t give out free stuff to small business owners, but we still found these four business freebies.

1. Shutterfly samples

This popular printing website constantly runs freebies for new members who create a free account . The free items you can receive vary depending on the day. Sometimes, it’s magnets, 8x10 prints, return address labels, or luggage tags. 

There’s a catch of course: You have to pay for shipping. On the plus side, you’ll get free shipping on your first order after that.

2. VistaPrint free sample kit

VistaPrint’s business sample pack includes a selection of popular marketing materials, including business cards, a presentation folder, postcards, and brochures.

The biggest drawback? You can’t customize the samples with your own logo or branding. They’re simply meant to showcase VistaPrint’s different offerings.

To get your kit, click request sample now and enter your address. VistaPrint will ship your business sample kit for free to your address.

3. Free pen from The National Pen Company

Who doesn’t love a free pen?

If you’re in the market for a bulk order of custom pens, the National Pen Company wants your business.

“We offer free sample pens and promotional items for businesses because we get that this is a big investment,” its site, pens.com , explains

You can’t request your free company-branded pen (or keychain or tote bag) online, though.

You’ll need to call the company at 1-866-900-7367 to get your free promotional item.

4. Other free pens and promotional items

It turns out that several companies specializing in business-to-business promotional items will send you a free pen — or pretty much any item in their catalog — so you can try before you buy. 

You can check out AnyPromo , 4Imprint , Marco Promo , and Jail Pens . 

Most of the businesses will charge you shipping, but not always. Each company’s exact requirements vary—you may need to email or call them to request a sample). 

Just remember, these companies want you to become a paying customer. Don’t abuse the system by requesting samples from companies you have zero interest in.

Free resources for small businesses

While business freebies may be hard to come by, free resources to help manage and scale your company abound.

Whether you're a solopreneur, a startup founder, or a seasoned business owner, these resources are here to offer education, guidance, and support.

5. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a bunch of free resources, including guides, webinars, templates, and online courses to help entrepreneurs manage and grow their businesses.

SCORE is a nonprofit organization providing free mentoring and educational resources for small business owners. Its network of volunteers offers guidance on all aspects of business, including planning, marketing, finance, and more. 

7. Small Business Development Centers

SBDCs are funded by the SBA and provide free consulting services, training programs, and resources. You can find guidance on business planning, marketing strategies, financial management, and more.

8. Women's business assistance:

Some SBDCs offer specialized assistance for female entrepreneurs, including resources, workshops, and networking opportunities. Contact your local SBDC to learn more about specific programs for women-owned businesses.

9. Networking events and workshops

Keep an eye out for free networking events, workshops, and seminars hosted by local business associations and entrepreneurial groups. Meetup , Eventbrite , and Facebook are all great places to find these types of events.

10. YouTube Creator Academy

If you're interested in using YouTube for marketing or content creation, the YouTube Creator Academy offers free resources, tutorials, and best practices to help you succeed.

11. IRS Small Business Tax Center

Taxes are confusing. Thankfully, the IRS Small Business Tax Center offers free tools and publications to help small business owners navigate their tax obligations, deductions, and credits.

Free business tools

From project management and marketing to accounting and design, check out these free tools to help your business grow and thrive.

12. Google My Business

Create a free business listing on Google My Business to enhance your online visibility, manage your business information and interact with customers. This tool allows you to appear in Google Maps and local search results.

13. Amazon Web Services

The free tier of Amazon Web Services gives you access to various cloud services, including compute, storage and databases—perfect for small businesses looking to leverage cloud technology.

14. Google Alerts

Get notified by email each time your company name gets mentioned in online articles. You can create multiple Google alerts for different keywords.

Free invoicing and accounting tools

Managing finances and keeping track of invoices can be a headache. Thankfully, free accounting software and invoicing tools are designed to simplify your bookkeeping and help you stay organized.

15. FreshBooks

Want to streamline your accounting and invoicing processes? FreshBooks helps you create professional invoices, track expenses, and get paid faster. (A paid subscription is required to access the full range of features beyond the trial period.)

16. Invoice Ninja

Invoice Ninja offers a free, open-source platform where you can create and send invoices, track expenses, and accept online payments.

Square offers free tools to help manage your small business, including point-of-sale software, invoicing, and payment processing.

Wave is a free accounting software program that lets you track expenses, create invoices, and manage your small business’s finances. It's particularly useful for freelancers.

Zoho Books provides a free plan where you can create and send professional invoices, track expenses, and manage customer payments. It’s customizable and supports multiple currencies.

Design and content tools

Creating stunning visuals and captivating content doesn’t have to cost a fortune. 

These tools are here to help. Some are totally free, while others offer a free version with robust features.

Canva is a free graphic design website where you can create professional-looking graphics, social media posts, flyers, and more. It offers a wide range of templates, fonts, and images to help with your marketing efforts.

21. FreeLogoDesign

Use the free logo maker tool on FreeLogoDesign to create a custom logo. There’s a variety of templates, fonts, and icons to choose from.

22. Adobe Express

Formerly Adobe Spark, this program helps you create visually appealing graphics, videos, and web pages. The free Adobe Express plan comes with thousands of design templates, a limited collection of royalty-free Adobe Stock photos as well as basic editing and photo effects.

Pixlr is a free online photo editor that can come in clutch for creating and editing visuals for your social media posts. While it offers a paid version with additional features, the free version is robust enough for basic editing needs.

24. Readability Analysis Tool by WebFX

This helpful free online tool lets you check the readability of your content quickly. Just paste your text into the tool, and it will analyze it and provide insight. It’s a great way to check your site before it goes live.

25. Hemingway Editor

The Hemmingway Editor is a free online tool that improves your content’s readability. It highlights complex sentences, suggests simpler alternatives, and enhances clarity.

26. Copyscape

Check for plagiarism and ensure the originality of your website content or blog posts with Copyscape’s free version.

Marketing and social media tools

You want to get your small business noticed, but where do you even start? 

These free marketing tools for small businesses help you connect with your audience through email and social media so you can generate more leads and land more sales.

27. AnswerThePublic

This free consumer insight tool lets you enter a search term, then displays questions people are asking related to that topic. With three free searches a day, the tool generates keyword ideas so you can see what your potential customers actually want to know.

Buffer provides a free social media scheduling tool that allows you to plan and publish posts on multiple social media channels.

29. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a popular email marketing platform that offers a free plan for small businesses with up to 2,000 subscribers with 12,000 free sends per month.

30. Hootsuite

Schedule and manage your social media content effectively with Hootsuite's limited free option. It supports one user and up to three social media profiles and provides basic analytics.

31. Wave.video

Create and edit videos for social media and marketing campaigns with Wave.video . The free plan offers basic video editing capabilities and a library of stock footage.

Learn about other ways to effectively engage with your audience with social media marketing.

Project management and scheduling tools

Get everyone on the same page with these free project management and scheduling tools.

Asana provides a free project management platform where you can create tasks, set deadlines, and track project progress. It offers basic collaboration features and integrations with other tools.

Trello is a free project management tool that helps you organize tasks, collaborate with team members, and track progress

34. Calendly

Calendly helps you simplify appointment scheduling and meeting coordination. The free plan lets you easily share your availability and eliminates the hassle of back-and-forth emails.

Other free tools for small businesses

Bitly is a URL shortening service. Its free version includes basic link shortening features, link customization, and some limited analytics.

36. Typeform

This program is perfect for creating interactive and engaging online forms and surveys. You can play around with Typeform’s features, but you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan if you want to share the form with others.

37. Naminum

Input keywords and Naminum will provide a list of unique and available business name ideas.

38. Nameboy

Enter primary and secondary keywords in Nameboy to generate domain name suggestions for your business.

39. SITE123

Build professional-looking websites quickly with SITE123's easy-to-use platform. Its free plan includes web hosting and the web editor tools at no cost. You’ll also get 500 MB of storage and 1 GB bandwidth.

40. PageSpeed Insights

This totally free tool from Google lets you analyze the speed and performance of your website and receive suggestions for optimization.

Rachel Christian is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance and a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She focuses on small businesses, retirement, investing and taxes.

Customize your website with an easy-to-use site builder that’ll make your brand look professional and polished in no time.

Related reading

• Best Free Website Builder for Small Business
• Top 7 Free Inventory Management Systems for 2023
• The Best Free Payroll Software for Small Businesses in 2023
• Free Payroll Templates
• 11 Best Free Business Checking Accounts 2023

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Where to get your free solar eclipse glasses: Warby Parker, the public library and more

Some astronomy aficionados are paying top dollar to catch the upcoming total solar eclipse, but there are plenty of options to take in the rare astrological phenomenon for free.

If you find yourself in the path of totality, you'll want to make sure that you're using eye protection before turning your gaze upward. Experts warn against looking at the obscured sun for "even a split second," emphasizing that the solar radiation can burn the inside of your eyes and potentially cause irreversible damage.

The eclipse will take place the afternoon of Monday, April 8, with parts of states like Texas, Ohio and New York falling into the path of totality.

Normal sunglasses aren't strong enough to protect your eyes from harm. Instead, you'll need special protection designed specifically for observing an eclipse.

Luckily, both government organizations and private businesses are distributing eyewear that meets the requirements set by the American Astronomical Society.

Here's where to get your free glasses before Monday's eclipse.

Your local public library

Libraries across the nation are distributing glasses for free. To see which libraries near you have glasses available, check out this interactive map from Star Net.

Warby Parker

The eyewear brand has gone all out for the eclipse, creating an entire page on its website dedicated to the event. Warby Parker is distributing glasses free of charge at all of its retail locations. You can find the closest store to you at this link .

New York State

With a good chunk of the Empire State falling in the path of totality, New York is distributing free glasses at locations including New York State Welcome Centers and Thruway Rest Stops.

Sonic and Smoothie King

Chain restaurants Sonic and Smoothie King are offering free eclipse glasses with a purchase.

Make your own

If there's nowhere near you to get free glasses, it's simple enough to make your own. Follow these instructions from NASA to create your own viewing tool with materials that you can find around the house.

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