This list aims to collect some of the valuable tools that we  have come across for start-ups. Lots of Free stuff to get your venture of the ground!

 

 

ACCOUNTING, BOOKKEEPING & PAYROLL TOOLS

Accounant directory [FREE]: Chartered Accountants Directory for finding an accountant in your area (UK http://www.chartered-accountants.co.uk Clear Books [FREE 1 month trial]: Complete online accounting software - bank import tool, invoicing, reports, expenses & more. http://www.clearbooks.co.uk Exponent [FREE 1 month trial]: online accounting and business management software https://www.thinkcomputer.com/software/exponent/index.html FreeAgent [FREE 1 month trial]: online accounting http://freeagentcentral.com InovoiceMachine [FREEMIUM]: professional-looking invoices http://invoicemachine.com/home Intuit Online Payroll [FREE 6 month trial]: payroll software from Intuit http://payroll.intuit.com/payroll_services/online_payroll.jsp KashFlow [FREE 2 month trial]: accounting software http://kashflow.co.uk/Liquid Accounts - Award winning accounting software. Modular based with the aim of keeping your costs low at the outset, but will expand with you as your company grows [ FREE 1 month trial] www.liquidaccounts.net MyCake [FREE 2 month trial]: web-based accounting/bookkeeping software combined with industry benchmarking for business management http://www.mycake.org/ Pearl [FREEMIUM]: Accounting (and invoicing, time-tracking, CRM) http://www.thisispearl.com/features/pricing-c-393.html Quickbooks [FREEMIUM]: bookkeeping / accounting software http://quickbooks.intuit.com/ Receiptfarm [FREE]: receipt processing www.receiptfarm.com Tas Software [FREE]: accounting software http://www.tassoftware.co.uk/site/tas_accounts_software/tasbooks_basic_free TimeTrex [FREE]: Opensource Payroll (and Employee time management / scheduling) http://www.timetrex.com/ WorkingPoint [FREEMIUM]: web-based bookkeeping (and invoicing) http://www.workingpoint.com Xero [FREE 1 month trial]: online accounting software http://www.xero.com/


INVOICING, BILLING & PAYMENT, & TIME TRACKING TOOLS

Ballpark [FREE 1 month trial]: Web-based invoicing http://getballpark.com Billshare [FREE]: application for sharing bills & expenses http://billshare.org/ BillingBoss [FREE]: invoicing tool http://www.billingboss.com/ Blinksale [FREE]: invoicing tool http://www.blinksale.com/ BookingBug [FREEMIUM]: Webased system for managing bookings, reservations, events, classes and courses, and taking payments online http://www.bookingbug.com Business IT Online [FREEMIUM]: Online invoicing application http://www.businessitonline.com/invoicing-software.aspx Clear Books [FREE 1 month trial]: Complete online accounting software - bank import tool, invoicing, reports, expenses & more. http://www.clearbooks.co.uk CurdBee [FREEMIUM]: Web-based invoicing http://curdbee.com/ FreshBooks [FREEMIUM]: Web-based invoicing and time tracking tool http://www.freshbooks.com/ Harvest [FREE 1 month trial]: online time tracking http://www.getharvest.com/ Pearl [FREEMIUM]: invoicing, time-tracking (and accounting and CRM) http://www.thisispearl.com/features/pricing-c-393.html Tickspot [FREEMIUM]: web-based time tracking http://www.tickspot.com Toggl [FREEMIUM]: Time management http://www.toggl.com/ Ronin [FREEMIUM]: Web-based invoicing and time tracking tool http://www.roninapp.com/ WorkingPoint [FREEMIUM]: web-based invoicing (and bookkeeping) http://www.workingpoint.com Zoho [FREEMIUM]: web-based invoiving https://invoice.zoho.com/


COLLABORATION TOOLS & OFFICE SUITES

CALENDAR / TIME TOOLS

Business IT Online Calendar [FREEMIUM]: for team scheduling and calendar sharing http://www.businessitonline.com/diary-scheduling-software.aspx

Doodle [FREE] for scheduling meetings, etc. http://www.doodle.com/main.html

Google Calendar [FREE]: http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en-GB/business/messaging.html

Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) [£10.04/user/month] This includes access to full suite of Exchange Online (email, calendar, contacts) ; Sharepoint Online (collaboration/workflow mgmt) ; Office Communications Online (IM and Presence) ; and Office Live Meeting (web conferencing). Components can also be subscribed to individually. http://www.microsoft.com/online/products.mspx

Sosius [FREEMIUM] - Group Scheduling & Time Tracking
http://Sosius.com

Tungle Calendar [Free]: for sharing calendars within or outside your business http://www.tungle.com/Home/

Time and date [FREE]: simple Timezone tool http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

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COLLABORATION, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, DOCUMENT SHARING TOOLS

Action Method [FREEMIUM]: productivity and project management based on action steps. Gives collaboration, communication, delgation, management, reference library, events and feedback. http://www.actionmethod.com/

Backpackit [FREE 1 month trial]: Document sharing, easy intranet for your business http://www.backpackit.com

Basecamp [FREE 1 month trial]: online project management http://www.basecamphq.com

Campfire [FREE 1 month trial]: web-based group chat http://www.campfirenow.com

Comapping [FREE 6th month trial]: online information management, sharing, brainstorming & planning. http://www.comapping.com/

Google Docs, Google Video and Google Sites [FREE]: http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en-GB/business/collaboration.html

Huddle [FREEMIUM]: online collaboration, project management software, document sharing, (& live conferencing) http://www.huddle.net/

Microsoft Office Live Workspaces [FREE] online place to collaborate, save, access, and share documents and files. Use it to group related information for work, school, or personal projects http://workspace.officelive.com/en-GB/

Microsoft Office Live Small Business [FREEMIUM] Build your site with free web hosting, free templates and easy to use tools, choose your domain, email capabilities, collaborate, store and share documents, manage contacts, http://smallbusiness.officelive.com/en-GB/

Redmine [FREE]: project management and time tracking http://www.redmine.org/

Sosius [FREEMIUM] - Team Workspaces, Document Management, Blogs, Database Applications, Projects Management, Full API http://Sosius.com

Zoho [FREEMUIM]: Productivity, Collaboration & business applications (e.g. Office suite, project & collaboration management, CRM etc) http://www.zoho.com/

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EMAIL TOOLS

Google Mail [FREE]: http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en-GB/business/messaging.html

Microsoft Office Live Small Business email [FREEMIUM] create email accounts, Set up as many as 100 free email accounts w company domain name, each with 5GB of storage, manage mailing lists with Contact Manager; synch with Outlook and mobile device; pay for premium email account (ad free) http://smallbusiness.officelive.com/en-GB/email

Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) [£10.04/user/month] This includes access to full suite of Exchange Online (email, calendar, contacts) ; Sharepoint Online (collaboration/workflow mgmt) ; Office Communications Online (IM and Presence) ; and Office Live Meeting (web conferencing). Components can also be subscribed to individually. http://www.microsoft.com/online/products.mspx

Xobni [FREE]: Outlook plug-in to turbo-charge your contacts search http://www.xobni.com/

Zoho [FREEMUIM]: Productivity, Collaboration & business applications (e.g. Office suite, project & collaboration management, CRM etc) http://mail.zoho.com/


CONFERENCING (AUDIO, VIDEO, WEB) & WEBDEMO TOOLS


Hideconferencing [FREE 1 month trial / PAID FOR]: audio conferencing http://www.hidefconferencing.com/

Huddle [PAID FOR]: phone conferencing http://www.huddle.net/

Glance [FREE TRIAL, PAID FOR]: can up to 100 guests see your screen http://www.glance.net/

GoToMeeting [FREE 1 month trial]: https://www.gotomeeting.com

Yuuguu: cross network instant messaging, instant screen sharing, web conferencing and remote support http://www.yuuguu.com/home

Webex [FREE 14 day trial]: web, video, audio conferencing, webinars & webcasts http://www.webex.co.uk/

Zoho [FREEMIUM]: Web conferencing http://meeting.zoho.com/

Skype [FREE]: Audio conferencing http://www.skype.com


COMMUNICATION TOOLS

Palringo [FREE]: chat and share photos and voice messages with your colleagues in one click from your phone or laptop http://www.palringo.com/

Skype [FREE]: free calls, free video calls and free instant messaging over the internet


CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) TOOLS


BatchBook [FREEMIUM & FREE 1 month trial]: http://www.batchblue.com/

Business IT Online [FREEMIUM]: Online contacts and sales management application http://www.businessitonline.com/contact-management-software.aspx

Highrise [FREE 1 month trial]: http://www.highrisehq.com

iQdesk Small business management software [FREE]: web based software offering five modules: Clients,Jobs,Tasks,Cost&Invoicing and an administration module. www.iqdesk.co.uk

Pearl [FREEMIUM]: CRM (as well as accounting, invoicing, time-tracking) http://www.thisispearl.com/features/pricing-c-393.html

Salesforce [FREE 1 month trial / PAID FOR]: http://salesforce.com

SugarCRM [FREE 1 month trial / PAID FOR]: http://www.sugarcrm.com/crm/

Zoho [FREEMIUM]: http://crm.zoho.com/crm

FOR MORE CRM TOOLS: a list of a variety of contact management & CRM tools, many of which offer a free trial before you buy http://www.slipstick.com/addins/contact_management.asp


MARKET RESEARCH TOOLS

British Library Business & IP Centre in London gives free access to Electronic databases on markets, companies and products for (UK and global)
http://www.bl.uk/bipc/dbandpubs/busres/index.html

The Centre also produces a range of industry guides [FREE]
http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpindustry/index.html

Google Trends [FREE]: trends search & competitive info http://www.google.com/trends

Upmystreet [FREE]: resource for finding postcode-specific demographic data or researching a specific location, listing key indicators such as age, income level and so on http://www.upmystreet.com


PRODUCTIVITY & TIME MANAGEMENT TOOLS


Toggl [FREEMIUM]: Time management http://www.toggl.com/

Xobni [FREE]: Outlook plug-in to turbo-charge your contacts search http://www.xobni.com/


RECRUITMENT TOOLS


Business Balls [FREE]: Job Description Templates www.businessballs.com/jobdescription.htm

Indeed [FREE]: http://www.indeed.co.uk/

Twitter Job Search [FREE?]: The Social Media Job Search Engine http://www.twitterjobsearch.com/


USER FEEDBACK, SUPPORT, AND SURVEY TOOLS


CrowdSound [FREEMIUM]: online customer feedback tool http://www.crowdsound.com/

FogBugz [FREE 45 day trial]: for tracking and prioritizing user feedback and development tasks http://www.fogcreek.com/FogBugz/

Get Satisfaction [FREE 14 day trial]: customer feedback & support http://getsatisfaction.com/

Hab.la [FREE?]: For Web-business owners. Provides instant communications with your website users http://www.hab.la/

SurveyMonkey [FREEMIUM]: web survey creation and management http://www.surveymonkey.com/

UserVoice [FREEMIUM]: customer feedback http://uservoice.com/

Wufoo [FREEMIUM]: create contact forms, web surveys, and invitations http://wufoo.com/

Zendesk [FREE 30 day trial / FREEMIUM]: on demand customer support tool http://www.zendesk.com/


WEBSITE TOOLS

WEBSITE ANALYTICS TOOLS

Getclicky [FREE?]: real time analytics http://getclicky.com/

Google Analytics [Free]: http://www.google.com/analytics/

Clicktale [FREEMIUM]: In-page Web analytics http://www.clicktale.com/

FOR MORE TOOLS: for a very detailed list of other Web marketing & traffic analysis tools, here is a great list that we found: http://www.webmama.com/search-marketing-resources/index.htm

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WEBSITE ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPER TOOLS

Google Webmaster Tools [FREE]: Google tool that shows how Googlebot sees your website and point out any SEO problems you have on your site https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/home?hl=en

FOR MORE TOOLS: a comprehensive list of other tools here: http://siteadminstuff.com/all.html

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SERVER ADMINISTRATION / MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Server Density [FREE for 1 server/PAIDFOR]: Monitor CPU load, memory usage, processes, disk usage and Apache status. Keep an eye on your servers and get e-mail/SMS alerts when things go wrong. http://www.serverdensity.com

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WEBSITE LOGO & DESIGN TOOLS

99designs [PAIDFOR]: design contest tool – submit a brief & choose best design that comes back from community of designers http://99designs.com/

CrowdSpring [PAIDFOR]: design contest tool – submit a brief & choose best design that comes back from community of designers http://www.crowdspring.com/

Elance [PAIDFOR]: design contest tool – submit a brief & choose best design that comes back from community of designers http://www.elance.com/

Logosauce [FREE to enter, PAID FOR if you use logo]: submit a logo competition to receive design concepts from designers. You will need to offer a prize for the winning design (with a MINIMUM VALUE OF US$200)http://www.logosauce.com/competitions

LogoTournament [PAIDFOR]: logo design contest tool – submit a brief & choose best design that comes back from community of designers http://logotournament.com/

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SEO TOOLS

Google Adwords keyword tool [FREE]: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

SEO MOZ [FREE / PAID FOR]: great set of SEO tools http://www.seomoz.org

FOR MORE TOOLS: For a very detailed list of other Web marketing & traffic analysis tools, here is a great list that we found: http://www.webmama.com/search-marketing-resources/index.htm

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WEB TRAINING TOOLS

W3Schools [FREE]: full web building tutorials http://w3schools.com/

Lynda.com [PAIDFOR): comprehensive online training source for all Web Design tools and software
http://www.lynda.com/

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MORE TOOLS FOR WEB & TECHNOLOGY STARTUPS

For Web & Technology startups that require more specialised tools for their website, here is a very useful Tools Wiki: http://startuptools.pbworks.com/


FINANCE & INVESTMENT TOOLS


GRANTS SEARCH TOOLS

There are only two grant search engines in the UK, that power all others - so these are the very best places to look:

1. GRANTnet [FREE]: search service from GRANTfinder across EC and UK sources including Government departments, local authorities, charitable trusts and corporate sponsors http://www.grantnet.com/

2. j4bgrants [FREE]: http://www.j4bgrants.co.uk/

MORE INFO: you might end up with a list of 20 results, but in reality only qualify for one or two once you've read through all the criteria. The criteria can be dozens to hundreds of pages long! so before you start this process, you might find this feature useful (it explains the whole process of looking for, finding and being awarded a grant - from how to narrow your search and identifying what you need to the kind of info you need to put into the application to when you might want to consider using a consultant): http://www.smarta.com/inspiration/features/in-depth/taking-finance-for-granted


SKILLS, MANAGEMENT, and ANALYSIS TOOLS & TEMPLATES


Business Balls [FREE]: comprehensive resource of templates, tools and diagrams for training, human resources, management theory, sales, business, personal and organizational development
http://www.businessballs.com/freeonlineresources.htm

Mind tools [FREE]: comprehensive skills tools & concepts resouce covering: Leadership, problem solving, decision making, project management, practical creativity, time management, team management, and strategy tools (e.g. PEST analysis, SWOT analysis, Porter's value chain, McKinsey 7S framework etc) http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/ThemedIndex.htm#Project


BUSINESS PLANNING TOOLS & TEMPLATES


Bplans [FREE]: examples of over 60 sample business plans for different business ideas/opportunities. www.bplans.co.uk/sample_plans/businessplans.cfm

BrightStartupBusinessplan [Free trial]: An online business plan writing program that will allow you to write a business plan and print it out. ww.brightstartupbusinessplan.com

iPlanner.NET [Freemium]; online business plan software intended for entrepreneurs, business advisors and investors.
http://www.iplanner.net/


LEGAL TOOLS


LawyerLocator [FREE]: a tool for locating a UK solicitor, which can be searched by area, postcode or area of expertise, and by name http://www.lawyerlocator


OFFICE EQUIPMENT


Freecycle [FREE]: users give away stuff for free here. All you need to do is pick it up! www.freecycle.com

Gumtree [FREE]: almost free equipment www.gumtree.com

Craiglist [FREE]: almost free equipment www.craigslist.com


Infonic - Document Manager™ Business Edition

Document Management tool designed to help SMEs reduce the amount of paper they use and increase productivity levels. www.infonic-document-management.com