Free Apps & Websites to Help Productivity

When you run a business, it can feel like all you’re ever asked to do is spend more money. Progression comes at a price, but what do you do when your pockets are empty? It’s easy to stay stuck, and really hard to find useful tools that actually work without breaking the bank! Luckily, we’ve got some recommendations.

Though some aspects, like web design and digital marketing, are unavoidable investments, there are areas you can cut costs. Our team have trailed a variety of FREE tools and resources to ensure we utilise and suggest only the very best, and below are five of our faves.

Canva

OK, so Canva will never replace a graphic designer. But it will help you to create high quality custom images, memes, banners, ads and presentations for social media on demand with absolute ease, and without spending a penny! With an easy drag-and-drop feature and thousands of pre-sized templates, layouts, graphics and icons, you don’t need any design experience to throw together something that looks branded and bespoke. Simply upload your logo and drag it onto your image! If you want to add some text, click “add text” – you get the idea, it’s basically fool proof!

Slack

We took up Slack as a way to keep all of our team connected and haven’t looked back since. Our productivity has gone through the roof, as housekeeping is better managed and communication is more responsive. Slack allows us to send and receive large files as well as instant messages, and lets users separate notifications and discussions by purpose, topic or department. There’s a desktop version and an app, so you can use it on-the-go or just leave it up in a tab while you’re on the clock. Collaborating has never been easier!

Todoist

Scrappy bits of paper no longer working for you? Whether you’re struggling with the organisation of your daily tasks or overwhelmed by the duty of delegation, allow Todoist to step in and save the day. As a list-based task manager, this tool is any busy business owner’s dream. It allows you to store notes, distribute tasks, set reminders, prioritise jobs and keep track of reoccurring events. It’s really clearly set out and intuitive to use. No chance of your to-do list getting lost anymore!

MailChimp

MailChimp is the answer to all of your email marketing needs. This free piece of software allows you to create beautiful email marketing campaigns and manage automated messages seamlessly. There are various built-in design templates to work from and an editor to customise campaigns. Simply import your contact list, create a campaign, click send (or schedule) and start building your audience.

Hootsuite

There are various Social Media Management Systems that help you to keep all of your accounts up to date from one place but not many of them are free. Hootsuite’s lowest level plan is completely free and enables you to connect up to 4 accounts. Our Social Media Manager uses Hootsuite to keep our Facebook and Twitter accounts up to date and track activity. It’s got intelligent scheduling options, automated report functions and tracking features… what’s not to love?