12 Free Tools For Starting a Home Business With No Money

Want to start your own home business but short on cash? These proven and expert 12 free tools can help you make the move from corporate life to calling the shots.

By Bruce Scher

Home business ownership is the best way to start any business especially with no money. With no money to put up, and no money to lose, it's a risk free proposition. Your expenses are already fixed. There are no additional costs for rent, telephone, utilities, or a second computer.

"Starting with a website for only $12 per month is actually how a majority of home businesses do it," says Matt Williams. He should know. Williams and his partner recently sold their home business start-up LiveBid.com for millions to Amazon.com.

Regardless of your background, age or present situation, anyone can start a home business. Even if you have no credit, no business background, no experience, or no education, these proven 12 free tools can be used for jump starting your home business idea into reality.

Jay Reiss, mail order consultant, said "I started my home business 20 years ago, because I had no money to spend on office rent. Now, my ads are responsible for millions of dollars in sales. It's certainly possible if you try, even Apple Computer started as a home business."

Building up Your Home Business Website Traffic

One of the fantastic free tools your home business will have at it's finger tips is email. Allowing you to communicate with new visitors as well as repeat customers, at no cost. Nothing for postage, envelopes, paper or printing, a perfect price for a home business.

To build up your home business, you will need to capture the email addresses of visitors when they come to your home business site. You will need to offer them something in exchange for giving you their email address. Go to your home business competitor's websites and see what they offer new visitors.

Another important feature of email is using the signature tag line at the bottom of your outgoing emails to communicate your slogan or something unique about your home business. Think of this as another free marketing opportunity to tell potential customers about your home business.

12 Free Tools for Your Home Business

1) Free Domain Name Registration Your home business domain name registration is free. http://webhosting.yahoo.com

2) Free Home Business Fax Number Receive incoming fax as email. http://www.efax.com

3) Free 100 Hottest Home Business Ideas Home business owners survey of best opportunities. http://www.homebusinessfree.com/home-business.htm

4) Free Search Engine Submission Google is a must for your home business and it's free. http://www.google.com/addurl.html

Making Your Home Business Visitors Customers

As you build up your email addresses, you will want to stay in touch via email with visitors and customers alike, to promote your home business in their mind, and to sell your goods and services. You will need separate lists of visitors and buyers, and tailor each message accordingly. New customers have a short life span so you have about 5 messages to sell them. Frequent buyers are the life blood of your home business and should be treated as such.

Get testimonials from frequent buyers explaining what they love about your home business. Display it on your website and in emails. Thank them for the testimonial and send them a small gift of appreciation. You will be surprised how a free gift excites, and gets them to tell their friends and co-workers about your home business.

5) Free Home Business Autoresponder Automatically sends personalized follow-up email. http://www.getresponse.com

6) Free Website Content. Pick-up articles for your home business website. http://www.ezinearticles.com

7) Free Home Business Credit Card Acceptance No monthly fees for merchant or payment gateway. http://www.paypal.com

8) Free Classified Advertising Use ads selling the uniqueness of your home business. http://www.websitings.com

Turning Your Home Business Customers Into Repeats

Another element of free marketing a home business that pays huge dividends is referral incentives. Here you email your friends, vendors, and customers with different messages, and ask them to recommend your home business to their friends, family, vendors and co-workers. Don't forget to promise them an incentive in product, service, or money for new customers referred.

9) Free Search Engine Marketing Newsletter Most important topic, best newsletter on subject. http://www.searchenginewatch.com

10) Free Home Business Press Release Distribution Tell the press about your home business. http://www.free-press-release.com

11) Free Home Business Word of Mouth Advertising Very effective website tool for any home business. http://www.recommend-it.com

12) Free Home Business Web Ring Attracts new customers to any type of home business. http://dir.webring.com/rw

Debbie Fields made a great chocolate chip cookie. Debbie says, "I had no money after buying ingredients, so starting my home business in the kitchen was the only solution. And I gave away free samples to get known. Anything is possible, you too can hit the big time, don't delay, start your home business today."