How to Start a Business, Under $100

by Constant Contact
(NewsUSA)

(NewsUSA) - If starting a business conjures up visions of spending thousands of dollars on setup costs before you ever open your doors, you're in for a pleasant surprise.

Technology innovations have made it easy to leverage your skills into a business, and money no longer has to stand in the way of your dream. Cloud computing and the ability to work virtually has made starting a business on a shoestring more possible today than at any other time in history.

There are a few key items that every business needs to get up and running. The good news is that for under $100 you can have all the right tools to get your business started:

- Business Phone Service. A business phone service projects a professional image with your customers from day one and helps you appear as an established organization. For just $9.99 a month, RingCentral (www.ringcentral.com) provides more business-class services than you get from expensive office phone systems. Services include multiple extensions, a toll-free or local number, voicemail with e-mail delivery, call forwarding, Internet fax, click-to-call, dial-by-name directory and more.

- Online Server and File Sharing. Purchasing a professional-grade server is expensive. Fortunately, unless you are planning to run your own hosting company you can skip the expense of a physical server and the IT staff needed to maintain it. Egnyte (www.egnyte.com) offers a virtual server for file storage, backup and collaboration for only $15 per month. The service enables you to back up your business data, store files and even share files with customers and partners.


- Connecting with Customers. E-mail marketing is a cost-effective and efficient way to get in front of your prospects and customers or remain top of mind through ongoing communication. Start your business off right by using an e-mail marketing service like Constant Contact (www.constantcontact.com) to build trust with your best customers through regular newsletters, promotional offers, event announcements, online surveys and other outreach. Constant Contact services start at less than $15 a month.

- Web site Hosting. You can establish an instant business presence with a Web site and e-mail. A professional-looking Web site will help you compete against larger, more established businesses. It is your online corporate office, but unlike physical real estate, it will not cost you a fortune (around $10 a month).

The right tools, an idea, initiative and $100 can kick off a business today.