Starting a business is a very exciting time! You are full of ideas, passion and feel ready to take on the world!
But where do you start with setting everything up? Plus, it can become very expensive very quickly and your business may not start generating an income straight away.
To help overcome this, the below list contains resources that offer free plans to help you get started!
This has some of my personal favourites so there are still many many more for you to explore to help you create your own business path.
Please note: All programs and apps are available on both PC and Mac.
1. Your Website:
Nothing makes your business feel more real than creating and launching your own website! To help you get started you can create your own site on WordPress.
Whilst there are other options such as GoDaddy and Wix, when you are ready to invest in your website, you can develop your website further, and with more ease, if you already have a WordPress site.
WordPress – wordpress.com
2. Your Social Media Accounts:
When it comes to launching and scaling your business, social media plays a very big role!
However, it can become overwhelming keeping up with the different platforms and creating content for each of them. The key to success here: Keep It Simple!
Once you have identified who your ideal client is, find out what platform they are on and where they hang out. If it is aligned with you and your business, focus on mastering that platform only! Once you have one platform running smoothly, then you get begin to master your next one.
For me, my clients were on Instagram, so I focused my energy on learning and growing on Instagram.
Instagram – business.instagram.com/getting-started
3. Creating Your Marketing
Time to get creative! And I cannot tell you how much I love creating all things business on Canva.
From my social media posts and lead magnets to my coaching session resources and templates that I sell on Etsy, it’s all so easily done on Canva.
They have thousands of templates ready for you to make your own!
Canva – canva.com
Looking for free stock images to add to your marketing? You can select from Canva’s selection, or head over to Pixabay and Unsplash.
Pixabay – pixabay.com
Unsplash – unsplash.com
4. Planning Your Content
I’m a self-confessed planning addict, but even I get overwhelmed with the amount of planning and creation that goes with running a business.
When I first started, I was using Trello as you can create multiple boards for different tasks and displays everything clearly.
Trello – trello.com
Now that I have a little bit more going on behind the scenes, I have fallen in love with Asana!
I have my Monthly Content Planning Project that helps me keep all my ideas and tasks for all the platforms all in the one place. Plus, you can view your tasks in list, board or calendar format.
I am also able to add tasks to multiple projects and set reminders for myself.
Asana – asana.com
5. Making Videos and Recordings
If you are like most people I speak with (and myself), you know you need to show up on video… but it is the last thing that you want to do!
So many thoughts and fears can creep up around this topic. But the key to success when it comes to videos – Start! It’s can be that simple if you let it be.
It can be off putting when you see the tech and the set up that the industry leaders have, but they didn’t start that way.
Looking for which camera to buy? Use your phone – it is your best marketing resource!
Need a mic? Use your phone’s headpiece. This works too for recording on your computer.
Need better lighting? Utilise the natural light as much as possible.
When you are ready to take your recording to the next level, additional recording programs I use are Audacity for recording my podcast, Streamyard for sharing my videos across multiple platforms and Loom for creating my training videos.
Audacity –audacityteam.org
Streamyard – streamyard.com
Loom – loom.com
6. Creating and Growing Your Email List
I learnt the importance of this step a year into the game. I missed so many opportunities and I don’t want you to fall for the same belief that social media marketing is all you need!
A mail list is yours. It’s doesn’t rely on algorithms and you don’t disappear for a day when the system goes down.
Using Canva, create an irresistible free PDF resource, your lead magnet, to offer to your audience in exchange for their email address.
Once you have this PDF file, you will need to create an opt-in page for people to enter their email address, and a thank you page to let them know it’s on its way to their inbox.
This action will trigger an email to be sent with the PDF file to your new subscriber!
All of these actions can be set up in Mailchimp using their free version.
Once you grow your email list, you can start emailing them on a weekly basis to offer more valuable content and tell them about your offers.
Mailchimp – mailchimp.com
Note: If you download the free list at the end of this article, you can see my opt in and thank you page, as well as the welcome email!
7. Booking Your Sessions
No more emailing your clients back and forth trying to set up appointments!
Now all you need to do it send them a web link and they can book in with you with just a few clicks.
Some even process payments for you at the time of booking to help with collecting payments.
There are a few options out there. Calendly seems to be the most common, but I love Set More.
I discovered them as they are integrated with Instagram and you can set up multiple booking options on the free version.
Set More Booking – setmore.com
8. Taking Payments
Now for the fun part of setting up a business – the payments!
Unfortunately, whilst these options are free to set up, they will charge you a fee per transaction.
I have accounts set up for each of these as some platforms only allow you to use one payment program.
When it comes to you deciding what one to use most, compare the features and fee structure and go with what is best for you and your business.
PayPal – paypal.com
Stripe – stripe.com
Square –squareup.com
9. Holding Client Sessions
You have your website, advertised your services on social media, built your email list and have onboarded your new paying client.
Now to hold your sessions!
Most, if not all of your sessions, will be help over the phone or online.
When I first started all of my sessions where typically held over Skype, Facetime or WhatsApp.
Now all of my sessions, and my casual chats, are now all held over Zoom.
Its free and easy to set up for 1:1 calls and allows you to record (with everyone’s consent if on a call) and jump between camera and sharing your screen.
Zoom – zoom.us
10. Sharing and Storing Documents
I thought it best to keep a simple step for last!
Running a business means sharing lots of resources, from your lead magnet to your products and services.
For saving and sharing individual documents, I use Google and my website to share files such as my lead magnets.
For sharing coaching session resources with my clients, I use Dropbox as I can update and add files with ease.
Google Drive – google.com
Dropbox – dropbox.com/basic
Bonus Resource!
You can connect all of these programs and processes through Zapier.
Zapier offers so many opportunities to improve your efficiency that I cannot do it justice in one paragraph.
You can create ‘Zaps’ to make outlook appointments, connect mailing list databases, save files… the list really does go on.
Zapier – zapier.com
Are you ready to start implementing systems in your business? Download you FREE Online Resource List!
Image by Styled Stock Society.
Creating Your Castle Coaching 