Business Tools

Any business must invest in productivity tools immediately.  Waiting until you can afford them can be a fatal mistake.  When possible I recommend starting with free tools that get the job done because spending too much money too soon is fatal as well!  When beginning with a free tool, try to find one that is scalable, at least a little bit.  This means that it will grow with you, for at least a little while.  But don't believe the usual sales pitch that their tool is infinitely scalable, eventually you will probably want to pay for a custom solution.  But this is after you have satisfied investors and are making money!

I started my own marketing company, consulted with other companies and am currently an officer in a technology start up.  I have used most of the tools I am recommending here as a result.