10 Must Have Online Resources for Any Business

As businesses take advantage of the internet more and more, new tools and online resources continue to be developed to fill business needs and make life easier. From creating an ecommerce presence to optimizing office performance to networking, the internet has become the essential medium for today’s businesses to function and compete. Here are our top 10 must have online resources for any business:

1. FastDue
Collection cycles are shortened with FastDue.com. FastDue is a free online invoice and collection tool that creates, manages, and communicates collection issues and agreements online. With FastDue.com, your time is managed more efficiently and your company is marketed more effectively. There are no fees or sign-up required, so you can get started immediately without any hassle.

Using FastDue, you get a professional and friendly way to efficiently communicate collection issues with quick results. Once your clients receive an online invoice, you can accept their payment through a secure PayPal or credit card transaction, or enable them to pay by check at their convenience. Not only does FastDue keep clear accounts of what is owed and what is paid, but you can also upload your unique company logo to promote your brand image. FastDue will automatically send reoccurring invoices and payment reminders at predetermined times enabling you to rest easily about your finances.

FastDue offers advanced features like co-branding and CRM that are specifically developed according to individuals company's needs. Chambers of Commerce across the state of Iowa use FastDue to communicate to and conduct business within their membership base. In FastDue My Accounts, you can organize all your business interactions, including all invoices paid and due. FastDue opens up a communication channel where all parties can create and negotiate terms of an agreement, and effectively resolve transactions in a secure and friendly online environment.

2. Skype
Skype is an online service that allows users to make phone calls over the internet. They provide free worldwide calling between other Skype users as well as instant messaging and video conference calling. In addition to the free Skype-to-Skype services, they also have good rates for calling or receiving calls from people who don’t have Skype. You can use your Skype number wherever you have internet connection. Additionally, you can purchase phones that work with Skype so that you don’t have to be tied to your computer.

Skype is a great service for businesses that are located in more than one location and people who need to communicate between offices daily. This is especially true if your branches are located in different parts of the world, because you can save big on international phone calls. Email doesn’t always provide the personal element or discussion that is necessary when exchanging ideas. Skype keeps the ideas flowing between colleagues for free - both through phone and video conferencing.

Skype is also beginning to go mobile. In April 2008, Skype became available on 50 mobile phones and can currently be used on a Blackberry.

3. PayPal
PayPal, in its tenth successful year of operations, is widely accepted as a means of transferring payments online. PayPal is an easy, inexpensive way for a small business to start accepting payments online. You can send invoices through email, accept payments through a PayPal account, or let your customers pay by credit card.

PayPal offers several levels of merchant service options to help integrate a payment system into your online business. Websites Payment Standard is a good place to start benefiting from the convenience of immediate and interactive payments, without any monthly fee or startup cost. You’ll pay 1.9% to 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction depending on your monthly income. But the best part is that for your clients (those who are paying you), the PayPal service is completely free.

When an invoice is received from FastDue.com, your PayPal account information is already embedded in the email link that your client has been sent to view the invoice. While PayPal has been growing every day, it has also been receiving awards and accolades along the way. The company has won the Peoples Voice Award and the Webby Award for the Best Finance Site. It has also been named one of The Top 100 Web Sites by PC Magazine, and one of the Top 25 Companies by Fortune Small Business, just to name a few of the company's achievements.

4. EBay
There aren't many sites on the Internet that can claim the success that eBay has enjoyed. The company began in the home of Pierre Omidyar is 1995 and is now a leader in Internet revenue. EBay is an ecommerce site allowing individuals and businesses to sell goods and services in an auction style or at a fixed price format. Auctions are set up for a certain number of days and sellers can set a reserve price that must be met for the item to sell. Fixed price allows customers to buy it now for a set price.

Items on eBay are listed by categories and anyone with an eBay account can bid on the item of their choice. You can find just about anything you can possibly imagine on eBay, including cars, real estate, collectibles, concert tickets, CDs, clothing, DVDs, and artwork. When you list an item for auction on eBay it can be seen by millions of people all over the world.

EBay gives small businesses the potential to immediately reach millions of customers around the world at a low cost. Small businesses can easily start an Online EBay Store for $15.95 a month to get advanced organization and selling functions. Features include a central online location with up to 300 categories to organize your products. You can post information about your business and promote your brand identity with your logo and custom store design. You can manage your sales with Selling Manager and market your store with cross promotions, promotional flyers, and emails. Additionally, EBay Store keeps track of your sales and you can easily export this data to QuickBooks.

EBay pricing fees involve a price tier structure, including both an insertion fee and a final value fee. The insertion fee is based from the reserve price for auctions or the buy it now price for fixed price items. The final value fee is based on price tier percentages of the price your item sells at. If your item does not sell then you are not charged a final value fee.

5. MyFax
MyFax is an internet fax service where you send and receive faxes through your email. Simply attach a document in an email (over 178 file formats are supported) and send to your recipients fax number. MyFax makes it easy with common software programs like Microsoft Office by allowing you to send an Excel, Word, or PowerPoint document directly from that program without even having to log into your email. You’ll save money by no longer needing a second phone line, fax machine, paper, ink, or maintenance.

MyFax gives you a real fax number, with options for both toll free and local numbers so that your clients don’t have to pay long distance fees when they fax documents to you. It’s also possible to keep your current fax number either through forwarding it or in some cases by using it directly with MyFax. Additionally, you’re less likely to miss a fax or lose it afterwards because they all go to your email as well as being stored online. Add up to 5 email addresses to send and receive from.

My Fax is ideal for businesses requiring travel and mobility like sales consultants, agents, or realtors who can’t always be in the office to receive a fax. You can send and receive faxes wirelessly through a handheld device like your Blackberry or Palm Treo.

Base plan starts at $10/month and includes 100 pages sent and 100 pages received. Each page after that is $0.10

6. Your Free Legal Forms
You can do it yourself at YourFreeLegalForms.com by searching and downloading free legal and business forms provided by community professionals. Users rate each document so that you know you’re getting a high quality form, and if it needs to be customized you can contact the professional who uploaded it for advice or consultation.

Your Free Legal Forms makes it easy to find the form you’re looking for. You can browse by state, category, most downloaded, highest rated, or use their advanced search feature to find exactly what you’re looking for. The database of forms is continuously expanding and includes agreements, leases, non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements, LLC and incorporation checklists, employment agreements, and other consumer and business legal documents, as well as lawyer-contributed articles on important legal issues. If you need a specific form that isn’t already in the database, you can make a request for it so that professionals may upload it.

In addition, Your Free Legal Forms is an excellent way to market your company online. Lawyers and business professionals can promote their business for free by uploading forms. When you sign up you can create a professional profile that links back to your company’s website, increasing its exposure and traffic. Additionally, your profile is search engine optimized and designed to take advantage of the thousands of users searching for these forms. Users search online, find the forms they need at YourFreeLegalForms.com, and contact you if they need further consultation.

7. Better Business Bureau Online
Due to the anonymous and sometimes opaque nature of the internet, customers may have concern about doing business with you online. Basically, they want to know if they can trust you. To ensure this trust, you may consider applying for the Better Business Bureau Online Security Seal. After you apply and get accepted you will be able to display the BBB Trustmark on your website. This Trustmark links back to a BBB report on your business which gives your customers an instant way to verify your business is trustworthy. Additionally, as a member you will be listed in online BBB directories and be able to network with other BBB verified companies.

8. Priceline
Priceline gives the best discounted rates for travel arrangements such as airline tickets and hotel stays. It works by comparing rates from several different providers to help you find the best deal. You can find specific travel arrangements from many low priced options or you can “Name Your Own Price” by telling them the price you want to pay. Naming our own price can get you a significant discount compared to other online booking sites, but it limits your ability to choose. For instance, to Name Your Own Price for a hotel you can select the area, the hotel star level, and the price you want to pay. Priceline finds a hotel that matches your criteria and lets you know where you’ll be staying. These reservations are non-refundable, but hotels are typically well known nationwide chains.

If you are flexible you can name your own price for airline tickets as well by selecting your departure & destination airports, travel dates, and the price you’re willing to pay. Your flight may be scheduled anytime between 6am and 10pm for the dates you choose. Priceline always looks for direct flights first, but you may also end up with one connection each way. Like all Name Your Own Price reservations, these tickets are non-refundable.

In addition to hotels and airfare, Priceline provides reservations for rental cars, vacations, tours & attractions, and cruises. Be sure to note that you can’t find the lowest accepted price by simply increasing your bid $1 each time it gets rejected. If you don’t change something in your order like the travel date or hotel class, then you will have to wait 24 hours before you can place another bid.

9. LinkedIn
Keep yourself in the loop with LinkedIn, a social networking service for business professionals. There are over 25 million current users around the world who are networking already. Once you sign up, you can create your professional profile and start making connections.

Three tiers of connections are used to find people and businesses you can trust. Direct connections are relationships you’ve already established, second degree connections are from your direct contacts, and third degree connections are from the second tier. Thus, your network begins to grow very quickly and opens up a multitude of business opportunities and relationships.

Small businesses can utilize LinkedIn in several ways. Find employees through recommended contacts or post questions to professionals in your network or industry to get answers you trust. Additionally, you can join groups related to your industry and discuss topics of mutual interest. Once employees of your business register your company as their employer, a company profile is started based on a compilation of information gathered from your employees and different sources. In the near future, companies will be able to post information about products and services, post targeted jobs and recruitment videos, upload company images, and more.

10. Entrepreneur.com
Entrepreneur.com is a good place to start when you’re looking for an answer to a business question you have. For example, if you’re interested in finding out more about trademarks for your company, you could start by doing a search here. You can find a general overview of what a trademark is, why you should do it, and the process required.

You can find many other helpful articles that may give you new ideas about how to develop and manage your company. In addition, you can ask a question to Entrepreneur’s small business adviser panel. Topics include starting a business, e-business, marketing, money, sales, advertising, management, franchising, home based business, and many more.


What is your favorite online business tool? Please share with us your experiences and suggestions on the best online business resources for small businesses.