All businesses want to boost their profitability and the effectiveness of their processes – never more so than now, in such a challenging economic climate. If you’re thinking about deploying new tools to uplevel productivity and give your revenue streams a shot in the arm, then deciding on the best ones can be tricky, especially if you have a limited budget.
Below you’ll find some of the best free tools you can check out on a trial basis before committing to see how they’ll suit your business without needing to splash out prematurely.
Webmail: Spike
For businesses looking for an email solution that can be accessed from any web browser, either desktop or mobile, but aren’t sure which of the many options to go for, consider trying out Spike.
Spike offers a new and innovative way to manage communication, providing users with the functionality of ‘traditional’ emailing and the immediacy and naturalness of instant messaging. Best of all, users can switch to video meetings or voice messaging in-app to keep the workflow moving smoothly.
While Spike offers a charged-for Pro and Business tier, why not try out its free webmail package initially to see if it’s a good fit for you? The Free tier will give you access to a Smart Inbox (with one associated email address), mobile, desktop, and web apps, unlimited collaborative notes and tasks, one-to-one video calls, and much more.
Accountancy: Xero
If you’d like to save money on accountancy fees, you may be considering accountancy software to help you manage your accounts quickly and easily in-house.
If this is the case, make the most of the thirty-day free trial from Xero. As well as being a safe and secure platform that allows unlimited users, Xero offers 24/7 online support, so you’ll be able to get the help you need when you need it.
The software can be used to, for example, send quotes and invoices, enter bills, reconcile bank transactions, and submit returns. Xero also allows the capture of bills and receipts with Hubdoc and facilitates automatic CIS calculations and reports.
Coaching and Mentoring: SGI
Business coaching can benefit entrepreneurs, whether their business is in the start-up stage or is a large, well-established concern. Coaching can help with everything from improving leadership strategies to implementing plans for growth to solving problems that have arisen.
If you think that coaching and mentoring services would be a great way ahead for your business, but are finding it difficult to decide which of the many coaching companies to instruct, then a free trial is the perfect solution.
SGI (Start Grow Improve) offers a range of business coaching and consulting services and gives potential new clients a seven-day trial period. During this time, you’ll be able to use their entire selection of coaching services: you’ll be set up on the Mentoring Platform, meet with a coach, and access the support desk as needed.
Document Polishing: Grammarly Business
Grammarly is widely regarded as a best-in-class tool to ensure writing is clear, professional, and error-free.
The Business package is designed for teams and will allow you to add up to 149 members of staff, each of whom will receive real-time feedback on their writing. It comes with a style guide, brand tone tool, analytics dashboard, and more and can integrate with many existing platforms. Need more?
The Enterprise tier includes robust management tools for large teams and comes with domain authorization, advanced safety features, and a dedicated customer success manager. You can add unlimited team members to your package, too.
If you’d like a glimpse of what you’ll get for your money, take up Grammarly’s free trial offer; you’ll get access to the Business package for up to three team members for seven days.
Project Management: Smartsheet
This type of software can significantly boost your business’s productivity, allowing you to effectively manage all elements of a project, from conception through to analysis of the end results.
If you’re toying with the idea of incorporating project management software into your processes but aren’t quite sure if it’s worth the cash, then try out the thirty-day free trial currently on offer from Smartsheet. This tool will allow you to manage your tasks, projects, programs, and processes from one intuitive, innovative platform.
As well as including dynamic portfolio management tools, Smartsheet features powerful collaborative tools to accelerate project delivery and unlock real-team visibility for every member of the team and stakeholders.
On top of the free trial, you can also access a range of demos to get an idea of the benefits this software can offer your business before committing.
Finding the Perfect Business Tools
The sheer volume of business tools out there can make selecting the most suitable ones overwhelming. Start by making a list of the things that would help you improve productivity and effectiveness, and then research the software and other types of tools that would plug these gaps.
Many companies offer free trials to help you understand what you’d be signing up for before committing. And if they don’t? It’s worth getting in contact with the company to see if they’d be prepared to give you a free or discounted period as a new customer – you may just be pleasantly surprised!
