Starting a Business on a Budget

Having been a single Mom myself I realize how important it is to be educated on tools that are out there to assist someone starting a business. I work in financial services and basically have a mobile office out of my car. I also bring on board other women to work with me in my business and many of them are looking to add extra income to their budgets and don't have a lot of cash to get started with the tools they need so I found four tools that I highly suggest they use which are also a write off on their taxes.

The first thing that is a definite need for a new business owner is a cell phone. There are so many to choose from with different plans but it's easy to go over minutes or forget about extra charges for texting, etc. so the best defense is a plan that is unlimited and covers everything. Boost Mobile is a great prepaid option for a cell/text service that has unlimited minutes and texting and no contract. This is essential for someone starting a business that isn't sure about their commitment to it this cell phone is perfect to set up a business number and not have any long term commitment with a contract.

The other tool I personally utilize all the time is FreeConferenceCall.com which gives you a phone number to use for conference calls for up to 96 callers and up to a 6 hour phone call. This also allows you to record the call for free and listen back later. For direct sales or businesses where you need to come back and type up the notes from calls such as medical billing, etc. this tool is perfect for having a free call where your people can also listen later if they miss the meeting.

Facebook has become a great networking tool and many folks use it to advertise their business on a page such as this one. Friends of friends can recommend your business to others and you can offer specials that connect to your personal website from your Facebook fan page.

Lastly if you are involved in an international start up Skype is the best way to talk for free over the oceans and can help you build your network. The best part is with a video camera you can truly personalize the experience and have a one on one meeting that doesn't feel so detached. This technology is truly the wave of the future and getting on board with Skype will open up many doors.

With just a little bit of techno education you'll be on your way to being easy to access for your clients and building your business quickly and inexpensively while you get off the ground looking very professional.