Free Tools for Startups

I’ve taken on an advisory role at a local startup that is currently bootstrapping their existence.  As a result, free stuff is worth a look.  I’m extremely impressed with two free tools that we are using, Zoho CRM and WordPress.  Neither of these existed when we started Janeeva.  At Janeeva we are using an open source CRM solution that gets the job done but has many drawbacks.  Zoho CRM solves every problem we’ve had.  It is hosted so we don’t have to deal with the download.  The interface is very friendly.  It is very configurable.  And to top it off, the mobile app is great.  It is only free for a couple of users but the pricing is very reasonable as you add employees.  My favorite feature the integrated email.  This costs $5 per month but is well worth it.  Every email to or from a prospect is automatically linked to their CRM profile.  It is seamless and beautiful.  The second great tool is WordPress.  The company’s website it built using WordPress which started as a blog but has become a great CMS platform.  The site was easy to build, easy to customize and most importantly really easy to update.  At Janeeva, our site is built using traditional HTML and it is not at all easy to update.  Wordpress is an outstanding solution.