As a small business owner, seizing opportunities to take your company to the next level is essential. If you want to boost customer satisfaction, increase customer engagement, or streamline operations, the right free and paid services make a difference. Here are some options to explore.
5 Free Services for Small Businesses
1. Social Media Templates
Whether you need a standout Instagram post, an eye-catching Twitter banner, an amazing YouTube title card, or to create an ad for Facebook, free social media templates can help. The size of the templates matches the specific platform, so you don’t have to worry about resizing. Plus, they’re fully customizable, allowing you to update the colors, fonts, and more to create the perfect post, banner, and more.
2. URL Shorteners
Long, complex URLs aren’t ideal in many situations. If you post it on character-limited social media sites like Twitter, the URL may get cut off. Plus, some URLs aren’t the most attractive, particularly if they seem to feature nonsensical character strings.
Fortunately, with free URL shorteners, you can tidy things up fast. The services also make affiliate links less noticeable, which could work in your favor.
3. Keyword Tools
Free keyword tools make boosting your site’s SEO easy. You can identify high-potential keywords in your niche with just a few clicks. Plus, some analyze your site’s position concerning specific keywords, letting you spot potential areas for improvement.
4. Review Sites
Review sites are an asset, giving small business owners insights into where various paid-for service providers stand within the market. For instance, Fulfillment Service Reviews makes comparing providers easy if you need a fulfillment service.
5. Website Builders
If you need to get your first website off the ground and aren’t overly tech-savvy in that regard, free website builders are a boon. You can get simple templates and access to high-quality images. Plus, most are full-featured and mobile-friendly, ensuring visitors can easily navigate your page and complete desired actions on any device.
5 Paid Services for Small Businesses
1. Temporary Employees
In some cases, small business owners just need a little bit of extra help. While you could bring employees onto your payroll, that isn’t cost-efficient if you don’t need them long-term. Instead, you may want to partner with a staffing firm if you need local temporary workers. You could also try freelancer platforms if the role can be remote.
2. Information Technology
Many small businesses can’t afford a full IT team. Since that’s the case, an information technology provider could give you access to more computing power, tools, or storage options than you can manage internally.
Cloud computing is a particularly popular option for small businesses that want scalability and professional support. Plus, it gives you operational flexibility, allowing you to connect to company resources for essentially any internet-connected device.
3. Fulfillment Services
If you operate an e-commerce store or work as a dropshipper, fulfillment services streamline all of your product storage and shipping needs. In some cases, it even simplifies inventory management, depending on the services provided.
On the customer experience side, fulfillment services can speed up timelines, increasing customer satisfaction. Additionally, easier returns or exchanges may also be part of the equation.
4. Accounting and Payroll
Managing a company’s finances and payroll is a cumbersome task. Plus, financial, payroll, sales tax collection, and federal tax mistakes can carry significant consequences. Since that’s the case, outsourcing accounting and payroll functions are wise. You’ll get access to experts who can ensure everything is done correctly and on time, all while reducing your workload.
5. Marketing
While some marketing approaches are reasonably easy to manage, that doesn’t mean it’s a wise use of your time. Hiring a marketing services provider may be worthwhile if you need to focus on other profit-driving activities, such as product or service development and delivery. The company can help you develop strategies and create content. In some cases, they’ll even engage with your social media community directly, boosting the customer experience and enhancing engagement.