How 2 Use Free Tools for Your Startup
Greg Gomer '07,一个连续创业者,co-founder ofBostInnoandHqO,led a How 2 Tuesday on using free tools for your startup.Greg began the presentation with the statement that believing you need to raise capital before you really start your business is a "death sentence." People who say this are already making excuses,and business is about determination and zero excuses.The barriers to entry to start a company have never been lower.Determination is something that investors and future customers understand and expect.
As an entrepreneur,it is your goal to do more with less.Every early-stage company is resource constrained.Successful startups know how to use this to their advantage.Do whatever it takes to get your company off the ground.Greg's recommendation is to never pay full price for anything.There are always local events you can eat for free at.Don't be afraid to tell people that you're a resource-constrained startup and own it.
Large companies love supporting startups!Reach out to corporations such asAmazon Web ServicesandMicrosoftto see what discounts they provide to startups.Greg also recommends getting "free money" by applying to every business plan competition,grant,accelerator,and incubator in the world.Use that non-diluted capital to your favor.
He listed "places to look for free stuff," which included colleges,libraries,accelerators/incubators,day jobs,bundled packages,the internet,and free trials of software.He then recommended the following free tools for specific needs,and urged everyone to search for promo codes for each if they're not free.Please note the following are not endorsements.
Website,blog,or homepage:
- Launchrockhttps://www.launchrock.com/
- WordPresshttps://wordpress.com/
- Mediumhttps://medium.com/
- Squarespace- not free,but cheaphttps://www.squarespace.com/
- unbouncehttps://unbounce.com/
Social media:
- Bufferhttps://buffer.com/
- Tweetdeckhttps://tweetdeck.twitter.com/
- SumoMehttps://sumo.com/
- Bit.lyhttps://bitly.com/
- Disqushttps://disqus.com/
Email:
- TinyLetterhttps://tinyletter.com/
- Mailchimphttps://mailchimp.com/
- HubSpothttps://www.hubspot.com/
Marketing & sales:
- HubSpothttps://www.hubspot.com/
- Drifthttps://www.drift.com/
- SumoMehttps://sumo.com/
- Typeformhttps://www.typeform.com/
- Privyhttps://privy.com/
- Optimizelyhttps://www.optimizely.com/
- GrowthHackershttps://growthhackers.com/
- Crayonhttps://www.crayon.co/
- Buzzsumohttp://buzzsumo.com/
- Sendgridhttps://sendgrid.com/
Operations:
- G Suitehttps://gsuite.google.com/
- Trellohttps://trello.com/
- Slackhttps://slack.com/
- Google Analyticshttps://analytics.google.com/
- Amazon Web Services- get free credits!https://aws.amazon.com/
- Duehttps://due.com/
- Shakehttp://www.shakelaw.com/
- Dropboxhttps://www.dropbox.com/
- Pockethttps://getpocket.com/
- Evernotehttps://evernote.com/
- Cartahttps://carta.com/
Design & Creative:
- Canvahttps://www.canva.com/
- Pixlrhttps://pixlr.com/
- Skitchhttps://evernote.com/products/skitch
- Placeithttps://placeit.net/
- Freebbblehttp://freebbble.com/
- Tethrhttps://tethr.com/
- UI Spacehttps://uispace.net/
- Premium Pixelshttp://www.premiumpixels.com/
- Stock Uphttps://www.sitebuilderreport.com/stock-up
- Unsplashhttps://unsplash.com/
- FontAwesomehttps://fontawesome.com/
- InVisionhttps://www.invisionapp.com/
SEO:
- Alexahttps://www.alexa.com/siteinfo
- WordPress SEOhttps://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/
- Browseohttp://www.browseo.net/
- Pingdomhttps://www.pingdom.com/
- Moz Localhttps://moz.com/products/local
- W3C Validatorhttps://validator.w3.org/
- XML Sitemapshttps://www.xml-sitemaps.com/
Learning & Training:
- Skillsharehttps://www.skillshare.com/
- Khan Academyhttps://www.khanacademy.org/
- Courserahttps://www.coursera.org/
- Codecademyhttps://www.codecademy.com/
- Startup Talkshttp://startuptalks.tv/
- AngelListhttps://angel.co/
- Product Hunthttps://www.producthunt.com/
- Lyndahttps://www.lynda.com/
Development:
- Hivehttps://hive.com/
- GitHubhttps://github.com/
- Visual Studiohttps://visualstudio.microsoft.com
- Keen.iohttps://keen.io/
- LingoHubhttps://lingohub.com/
- Searchcodehttps://searchcode.com/
- TinyCerthttps://www.tinycert.org/
- Pingdomhttps://www.pingdom.com/
- Rollbarhttps://rollbar.com/
- Logglyhttps://www.loggly.com/
Payroll/HR:
- Gustohttps://gusto.com/
- Zenefitshttps://www.zenefits.com/
Payments:
- Stripehttps://stripe.com/
Greg then recommended the following community resources:
Early stage venture resources:
- Rough Draft Ventureshttp://www.roughdraft.vc/
- Dorm Room Fundhttps://www.dormroomfund.com/
- TechU Angelshttp://techuventures.com/
- Accomplicehttp://www.accomplice.co/
- Nextviewhttps://nextviewventures.com/
- Founder Collectivehttp://www.foundercollective.com/
- BOSShttp://www.boss.ventures/
- BOLThttps://bolt.io/
- Project 11http://www.project11.com/
- Flybridgehttp://www.flybridge.com/
- Convergehttps://www.convergencevc.com/
- CRVhttps://www.crv.com/
- Romulushttp://www.romuluscap.com/
- Underscorehttps://underscore.vc/
- Pillarhttp://pillar.vc/
- Boston Seedhttps://www.bostonseed.com/
- Sparkhttps://sparkventures.org/
- Golden Seedshttps://goldenseeds.com/
- Resolutehttp://resolute.vc/
- Hyperplanehttps://hyperplane.vc/
Incubate & accelerate:
- CoGo Labshttps://www.cogolabs.com/
- Greentown Labshttps://www.greentownlabs.com/
- Healthboxhttp://healthbox.com/
- LearnLaunchhttp://learnlaunch.com/
- MassChallengehttps://masschallenge.org/
- Techstarshttps://www.techstars.com/
- Summer at Highlandhttps://www.churchofthehighlands.com/summer
- Launchhttp://www.launchincubator.co/
- Fintech Sandboxhttps://fintechsandbox.org/
- Dat合资企业http://www.datventures.com/
- Smarter in the Cityhttp://www.smarterinthecity.com/
Co-working spaces:
- CIChttps://cic.com/
- Coalitionhttp://coalitionimpact.com/
- District Hallhttps://districthallboston.org/
- WeWorkhttps://www.wework.com/
- Workbarhttps://www.workbar.com/
- KOAhttp://koalab.com/
- Greentownhttps://www.greentownlabs.com/
- NGINhttp://nginworkplace.com/
- Idea Spacehttp://ideaspaceboston.com/
- Brooklyn Bouldershttps://brooklynboulders.com/gowanus/
- Oficiohttps://www.myoficio.com/
- Hatchhttps://www.hatchworkspace.com/
- Roxbury Innovation Centerhttps://roxburyinnovationcenter.org/
College incubators and accelerators:
- beplay官网体育Babson Butler Launch Padhttp://www.beplay官网体育babson.edu/butlerlaunchpad/
- Harvard iLabhttps://innovationlabs.harvard.edu/
- Northeastern IDEAhttps://www.northeastern.edu/idea/
- Rock Centerhttps://entrepreneurship.hbs.edu/Pages/default.aspx
- MIT Martin Trust Centerhttp://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/
- MIT Global Foundershttp://www.starthub.org/incubators/mit-global-founders-skills-accelerator-gfsa
- MIT Venture Mentoringhttp://vms.mit.edu/
- Olin Innovation Labhttp://www.olin.edu/collaborate/olin-innovation-lab-oil/
- BC Shea's Centerhttps://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/carroll-school/sites/shea-center.html
- BCVChttps://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/carroll-school/sites/shea-center/ideate/competitions.html
- UMass VDChttps://www.umb.edu/vdc
- Berklee ICEhttps://www.berklee.edu/focused/ice
- BU Buzz Labhttps://issuu.com/thebubuzz
- BU Venture Acceleratorhttp://sites.bu.edu/buva/
College business plan competitions:
- beplay官网体育Babson B.E.T.A.Challengehttp://www.beplay官网体育babson.edu/betachallenge
- Beantown Throwdownhttp://www.mitforumcambridge.org/tag/beantown-throwdown/
- 1776 Challengehttps://www.1776.vc/challenge-cup/about-challenge-cup/
- MIT 100khttp://www.mit100k.org/
- HBS New Venture Competitionhttps://www.hbs.edu/newventurecompetition/Pages/default.aspx
- BU New Venturehttp://www.bu.edu/innovate/build-lab/newventurecompetition/
- BC Venture Competitionhttps://ww.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/carroll-school/sites/shea-center/ideate/competitions.html
- Harvard President's Challengehttps://innovationlabs.harvard.edu/presidents-innovation-challenge/
Events:
- Lean Startup Circlehttp://www.leanstartupcircle.com/
- HUBweekhttps://hubweek.org/
- StartupStirhttp://www.startupstir.com/
- VentureCafehttp://vencaf.org/
- Boston TechJamhttp://bostontechjam.com/
- State of Innovationhttp://www.stateofinnovation.com/
- 50onFirehttps://www.americaninno.com/boston/bostinnos-50-on-fire
- MassInnohttp://mass.innovationnights.com/
- BostonFesthttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/bostonfest-2018-tickets-44884242979
- WebInnohttp://www.bostoninnovatorsgroup.com/
- She Geeks Outhttps://www.shegeeksout.com/
- TUGGhttps://www.tugg.com/
- The Capital Networkhttp://thecapitalnetwork.org/
- Innovation Enterprise Summitshttps://www.theinnovationenterprise.com/summits/calendar
- TEDxhttps://www.ted.com/watch/tedx-talks
- NEVY Awardshttp://thenevys.com/
- MassTLChttp://www.masstlc.org/
- FutureMhttp://futurem.org/
- MIT Enterprise Forumhttp://www.mitef.org/s/1314/main.aspx?gid=5&pgid=61
- Capital Whttp://capitalw.org/
- Tech Madnesshttps://www.americaninno.com/boston/bostinnos-tech-madness/
- Greenhorn Summithttp://www.greenhornconnect.com/greenhorn-summit-3/
- Unpitchhttp://www.unpitch.org/
If you want to get a job at a company in order to gain experience before founding your own startup,Greg recommended looking at the following companies:
- Athenahealthhttps://www.athenahealth.com/
- Acquiahttps://www.acquia.com/
- Actifiohttps://www.actifio.com/
- Akamaihttps://www.akamai.com/
- Applause,Brightcovehttps://www.brightcove.com/en/
- Bullhornhttps://www.bullhorn.com/eu/
- Carbon Blackhttps://www.carbonblack.com/
- CarGurushttps://www.cargurus.com/
- Catalanthttps://gocatalant.com/
- CloudLockhttps://www.cloudlock.com/
- Constant Contacthttps://www.constantcontact.com/home-page
- DataXuhttps://www.dataxu.com/
- Demandwarehttps://www.demandware.com/
- Draftkingshttps://www.draftkings.com/
- Drifthttps://www.drift.com/
- Drizlyhttps://drizly.com/
- Everbridgehttps://www.everbridge.com/
- EMChttps://www.emc.com/about/index.htm
- formlabshttps://formlabs.com/
- GEhttps://www.ge.com/
- HubSpothttps://www.hubspot.com/
- Janahttp://www.jana.com/home
- Kayakhttps://www.kayak.com/
- Insight Squaredhttp://www.insightsquared.com/
- iRobothttps://www.irobot.com/
- Localyticshttps://www.localytics.com/campaignbuilder/
- LogMeInhttps://www.logmein.com/
- PillPackhttps://www.pillpack.com/
- Pixabilityhttps://www.pixability.com/
- Rapid7https://www.rapid7.com/
- TripAdvisorhttps://www.tripadvisor.com/
- M.Gemihttps://mgemi.com/women/
- Wayfairhttps://www.wayfair.com/
Hearing from an experienced entrepreneur was very inspiring.I hope you are able to use some or many of these resources!