5 Free Tools You Need to Run a Successful Business

I get it, you’ve got a lot of content to create and there are a lot of things you need to organize your business. And all of those apps and services can add up! So today I’m going to share with you the 5 free tools you need to run a successful business. I use these apps and I have seen how they have helped my business grow, for free! I know you’re going to love them.

Canva – Free Tool #1 Create Business Graphics

Whenever I am creating content one of the first things I need are graphics. Whether that’s an Instagram post, blog post, or something for my email list, I need graphics that look good. And it’s important that they can be easily shared and easily downloaded. I have found that the simplest and most efficient editor for this is Canva. Canva is a free design app and website. I love that I can easily use it to design graphics on my phone or laptop. And it keeps all of my projects organized in one place. It’s also extremely customizable. I’ve purchased the Pro plan and it has awesome features such as being able to upload and save my brand logo and colors. Having them so easily accessible when I’m creating content has saved me so much time and energy.

I use Canva all of the time to create beautiful Pinterest graphics and I even used it for the graphics you see on this blog! Canva provides a huge variety of pre-made graphics you can customize to get you started. And guess what? If you’re interested in some beautiful graphics that will stand out above the rest I have a templates pack designed specifically for small business owners like you! You can purchase my graphics template pack here. These templates work with Canva and are great for sharing on platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. Check them out and be sure to tag me on Instagram @iammichellegifford so I can see how you’re using them!

Calendly – Free Tool #2 Run a Successful Calendar

The second free tool you need to run a successful business is Calendly. When I first started podcasting years and years ago, I didn’t have an app to organize my schedule. I wasted hours trying to coordinate interview times that would work for both my podcast guests and me. But now that I have Calendly all I have to do is set my hours, and post when I’m available. This allows my podcast guests to easily see my schedule and coordinate it with theirs. I also use this to set up coaching calls with my clients. I love that they can request a time slot and it’s automatically added to my calendar, with a Zoom link included! This is completely amazing and has saved me hours and hours. It’s all automated and it’s super easy. And free!

Google Drive – Free Tool #3 Share Business Documents

Number three is Google Drive. Google Drive may seem pretty basic, but it’s essential to running a small business with employees. I pay for a G suite account which lets me choose an email address domain name to connect all of my team members. Anytime my employees contact a client they’ll send it from a michellegiffordcreative.com email address. This is an easy way to show your clients you run a serious business. Within Google Drive, we are able to easily share documents among our team and with our clients. It’s so easy to organize my monthly reports, employee resources, and graphics into searchable folders. I keep a copy of everything there! Google drive is one of the most important 5 free tools you need to run a successful business.

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Tailwind – Free Tool #4 Run a Social Calendar

Number four is Tailwind. This is a great tool for scheduling Pinterest and Instagram posts. The Pro plan is not very expensive and I recommend upgrading to it. Or you can get started for free with my link here. The Pro plan is awesome though and I use it to schedule out all of my Pinterest images and graphics. I love that I can spend just a couple of hours each month scheduling my content and then I don’t have to worry about posting for the whole month. It runs behind the scenes while I focus on creating new content and running my business. That saves me a ton of time!

Loom – Free Tool #5 Successful Video Sharing

The last tool you need to run a successful business is my new secret weapon, Loom. I just recently discovered Loom and I am loving it which is why it is one of the 5 free tools you need to run a successful business! I use it every week to help quickly share videos with my clients and team. Loom allows you to record yourself talking straight from your laptop camera and it lets you screen record from your computer at the same time. And it’s so easy to share it with just one, click of a link. Amazing.

It also transcribes your video and allows the viewer to watch it in double time. In my agency, we love to use it to teach each other how to do things on the computer or give a visual update on projects. Loom is been a great tool for communicating with our clients. I can walk them through proposals and they can see my screen and know exactly what I’m talking about.

So I love using Loom! I also recently started recording some of my podcasts on Loom because it makes it so easy for me to share with my podcast editor. It organizes and saves everything in one place. If you ever need to share screen recordings or videos, I highly recommend using Loom.

Apps I can't run my small business without iammichellegifford.com.