3 Essential Online Tools for Startups and Small Businesses
With inflation, the volatility of the economy, heightened competition in the marketplace and other barriers to entry, the cost of doing business these days has become quite steep. For startups and small business owners, they have a lot going even before they step in line. This is why implementing free and low-cost online tools can help soften the load. For you to further understand what I’m trying to convey, check these three online services out:
A recent data shows that Internet users fail to remember 9 out of 10 new websites they visit. Based on this statistic alone, it follows that if you’re a website owner, you have to have a catchy, unique, relevant and easy-to-remember domain – that is, if you’re aiming for repeat traffic. But given that millions and millions of TLDs (top-level domains) had been registered to date and more are being registered everyday, most of the good ones have already been taken. Branding agencies will love to do business with you. That’s something you can count on. But would you, given that they charge up to thousands of dollars?
Having been in business since 2007, PickyDomains.com is an online naming service that has a strong base of 50,000+ registered contributors. With that number, you can probably already imagine the number of suggestions you can get from this diverse pool of people. To start receiving suggestions, register as a client, pay the required downpayment of $50 for a name or domain ($75 for a slogan) and list down your naming guidelines. Now, here’s a deal you won’t get anywhere: If none of the suggestions fulfills your requirements, a refund is in order.
2. JetRadar.com
When you’re in business, air travel may become a necessity. Since the introduction of low-cost airlines and online ticketing brokers, the cost of air travel has cheapened dramatically, an advantage for frequent travelers. But competition in the industry has become so intense that others were forced to close down, prompting the remaining players to keep their airfare promos to themselves via their corporate sites or partner sites, instead of price-comparison websites where they can potentially lose customers to competing carriers. The end result, customers are forced to go website hopping in search for the deal that suits them best.
JetRadar.com is a search engine that specifically targets the best and cheapest available airfare deals from 728 individual airline sites, hundreds of ticketing and flight sites and makes the data publicly available. These promos are usually only available to customers purchasing directly from airlines’ corporate websites. JetRadar.com aggregating all of these in a single site drastically cuts down the time and energy a regular consumer would have to utilize to find the airfare deal that works for him best. JetRadar.com aspires to be the first and ultimate online address for the best airfare promos.
3. Bitrix24.com
Nowadays, technology and efficiency go hand in hand. Companies have been employing the use of technologically advanced tools to better their business performance and provide more value for their customers. Tools of this nature include CRMs and corporate intranets. But sometimes, if you add in savings to the technology and efficiency mix, you get more like a water-oil reaction. Those three won’t necessarily all blend together. My point, technology that produces efficiency isn’t always cheap.
Bitrix24.com is a collaboration and communications platform especially designed for the workplace. It combines the use of a free CRM system, free messaging, free workforce monitoring, free activity planner, free real-time streaming and a whole host of other features that are sure to blow you away – essentially your all-in-one workspace. Bitrix24.com is cloud-based, meaning, no need for installation of any sort, and it can be accessed anywhere, whether via a smartphone or web-based browser, allowing you to bring your workspace with you wherever you go. The application is absolutely free for small companies comprised of just about 12 employees. For unlimited number of users, monthly subscription is $99.