7 Affordable Tools to Start an Online Business for $100 or Less: A Comprehensive Guide

Starting a business is becoming quite accessible and a lot more affordable than ever before, especially if you want to run digitally. But one cannot ignore that building an online business can be challenging, especially for those who are just starting out. However, with the right tools and a little bit of creativity, anyone can turn their passion into a profitable online business that provides them with the lifestyle they desire. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the top seven affordable tools you need to start an online business for $100 or less. And the best part, even if you already have a business, these tools are some you should consider

What is An Online Business

An online business refers to any business that operates solely or primarily online. This can include selling products or services, providing information on a blog or with a Newsletter, or building a membership community. The opportunities are limitless. Online businesses are advantageous as they can be run from anywhere in the world, and they offer a level of flexibility and scalability that traditional brick-and-mortar businesses cannot match, especially for millennials and Gen Zs who over the last few years have become increasingly conscious of having a work-life balance.

Advantages of Starting an Online Business

Starting an online business has many advantages, including low startup costs, the ability to work from anywhere, and the potential for unlimited income. With an online business, you can reach a global audience from anywhere in the world, test new products or services quickly and easily, and enjoy a level of flexibility that traditional jobs cannot offer or match. However, there is a learning curve, and you should definitely consider finding resources that can give you guidance on building an online business successfully

Importance of Affordable Tools for Starting an Online Business

When starting an online business, it's crucial to keep costs low. Fortunately, there are many affordable tools available that can help you get started for $100 or less. From website builders and e-commerce platforms to payment processors and social media management tools, these seven tools will give you everything you need to launch your online business and start making money online. By using these affordable tools, you can launch your online business for $100 or less and start earning money from anywhere in the world.

1. Systeme io

Systeme.io is an all-in-one platform that can help you build and grow your online business. With its easy-to-use interface, you can create landing pages, email campaigns, blogs, sales funnels, payment processing, and community, as well as a course platform, systeme.io can be that one platform where you run your online business as it rivals platforms such as Kajabi, Clickfunnels, & Kartra, but on a shoestring budget. The platform also offers features such as email marketing, membership sites, and affiliate program management software. With plans starting at just $27 per month, Systeme.io is an affordable option for entrepreneurs who are just getting started. Systeme.io also offers a free plan, so no need to have money to start making money today

At Business Creed, we currently run most of our backend through Systeme.io. Including our coaching & consulting branch of the company

Systeme.io is quite easy to set up, and if you had to have this system custom-built, it wouldn’t cost less than USD$ 4000, and that is if you offshore the project.

Pros:

• Affordable pricing

• All-in-one platform

• Easy to use

• Great customer support

Cons:

• Limited customization options

• Limited integrations

• No CRM Function

2. Hostinger

Hostinger is a web hosting provider that offers affordable hosting plans starting at just $0.99 per month. Its plans include features such as a website builder, domain registration, and website migration. Having used Hostinger for the past 3 years, we highly recommend it for entrepreneurs and bloggers. With free email hosting on its business hosting options, you can set up your business digitally for less than USD$20 P/M. You can have your professional email address for the price of a couple of Lattes. Furthermore, its easy-to-use website builder allows you to have your website up and running quickly. Hostinger also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, making it a risk-free option for entrepreneurs who are just starting.

Pros:

• Affordable pricing

• Reliable hosting

• Easy to use

• Great customer support

Cons:

• Limited features compared to other hosting providers
  

3. Mailerlite

Mailerlite is an email marketing tool that offers affordable plans starting at just $10 per month. This is the perfect option if you are just starting out with email marketing and Newsletters for your business, and you do not need Systeme.io’s more robust system. Set up professional landing pages or website pop-ups to collect emails just like Systeme io. This is where we started our email marketing, and we cannot recommend it enough

Mailerlite is quite simple to set up, and the best part is that on the paid plan you can schedule a time to send out emails depending on time zones. Say for example you would like your Newsletter to hit your subscribers' email at 9 AM on Tuesdays, you can schedule it so it gets to subscribers at 9 AM on their timezones.

Mailerlite also offers a free option for businesses with an email list of 1000 or fewer subscribers. It has some limited options such as not being able to customize landing pages with your own domain or A/B testing campaigns on its free plan, but it can be a great place to start. With its easy-to-use interface, you can create and send email campaigns, automate your email marketing, and track your results. Mailerlite also offers features such as landing pages, pop-up forms, and surveys.

Pros:

• Affordable pricing

• Easy to use

• Great customer support

• Offers a free plan for businesses with less than 1,000 subscribers

Cons:

• Limited customization options compared to other email marketing tools

• Limited integrations

4. Saleshandy

Saleshandy is a sales engagement tool that can help you automate your sales outreach and track your email campaigns. We all need clients, and when you start out, the truth is that you do not have the audience to tap into. Saleshandy makes a great starter pack for you as it is the most affordable tool I have seen so far when it comes to cold email automation. With its easy-to-use interface and comprehensive features, you can create personalized email campaigns, track your open and reply rates, and automate follow-up emails. With plans starting at just $9 per user per month, it's an affordable option for entrepreneurs who need to streamline their sales process.

Pros:

• Affordable pricing

• Comprehensive sales engagement features

• Great for automating sales outreach

Cons:

• Limited integrations compared to other sales engagement tools

• Limited customization options

• Limited ability to personalize campaigns

5.Vidyard

Vidyard is a video marketing tool that can help you create, host, and share video content for your business. It offers a variety of features such as video hosting, video creation, and video analytics. With plans starting at just $15 per month, it's an affordable option for entrepreneurs who want to incorporate video into their marketing strategy, or for those that are looking to ditch YouTube for where to host their course video. From using it as an alternative to Vimeo or YouTube unlisted video to leveraging it as a sales tool, Vidyard is a video marketing tool you want to explore. And the best part is you can get started for free

For more advanced companies, we have used it to create ABM programs that felt personalized. It is amazing, and we particularly love Vidyard's own approach to marketing and creating relevant resources to help salespeople to close more deals using video

Create video marketing campaigns to support your sales team to land more deals, or set up a program and store the videos there. It is one tool you want in your marketing arsenal

Pros:

• Affordable pricing

• Comprehensive video marketing features

• Great for businesses looking to incorporate video into their marketing strategy

Cons:

• Limited customization options compared to other video marketing tools

• Limited integrations

6. Zohocrm

Zoho CRM is a great solution for managing customer relationships and boosting your business. With its extensive range of features and affordable pricing, Zoho CRM is the perfect tool to optimize your sales and marketing efforts. Starting at just $12 per user per month, Zoho CRM offers a cost-effective option for businesses of all sizes.

Seamlessly track leads, automate workflows, and nurture customer relationships with ease. It allows you to gain valuable insights into your sales pipeline and make data-driven decisions to drive revenue growth.

Whether you have a course business, membership, consultancy, or even an affiliate marketing business, having a CRM empowers your business and maximizes your marketing success

Zoho CRM also offers integration with other Zoho products, enhancing your overall business productivity as you can run your entire admin backend on the platform.

Pros of Zoho CRM:

• Affordable pricing starts at just $12 per user per month.

• A comprehensive set of features for managing customer relationships and sales.

• Customizable and scalable platform to meet the unique needs of your business.

• Integration with other Zoho products, enhancing overall business productivity.

• Robust analytics and reporting capabilities to gain valuable insights.

• Automation of repetitive tasks and workflows for improved efficiency.

• Mobile app available for on-the-go access and management.

Cons of Zoho CRM:

• Steeper learning curve compared to some other CRM platforms.

• User interface can be overwhelming for beginners.

• Limited customization options for certain features.

• Advanced features may require additional modules or upgrades.

• Customer support response times can vary.

• Integration with some third-party apps may be limited.

• Occasional performance issues during peak usage periods.

It's important to note that the perceived pros and cons may vary based on individual needs and preferences.

7. Phantombuster

Phantombuster is a web automation tool that can help you automate tasks such as social media outreach and lead generation. Phantombuster also is one of a number of favorite tools in the SMMA space as it allows you to scrape emails around the internet to create a cold email list if you do not have the coin for Zoominfo, Seamless.ai, Sales Navigator, or Leadfuze.

This is a lovely tool if you are trying to be agile, and maybe are a solopreneur, and you want to be scrappy with generating leads, especially on LinkedIn. Auto-connect with a list of LinkedIn users by sending invitations with personalized messages, send a personalized message to your new LinkedIn connections automatically after connecting and send personalized messages to members of a LinkedIn group automatically

This is perfect if you have a social selling program in place to generate leads. And if you aren’t sure what to write in your workflows, grab our DM scripts here to set up a powerful system.

With its user-friendly interface, you can set up automated workflows quickly and easily. With plans starting at just $30 per month, it's an affordable option for entrepreneurs who need to automate their workflows and be scrappy with generating leads.

Pros:

• Affordable pricing

• Easy to use

• Great for automating tasks

Cons:

• Limited integrations compared to other web automation tools

• Limited customization options
  
  

  Conclusion

  
  Starting an online business can be challenging, but with the right tools, it can be easier and more affordable. The tools listed above offer a variety of features and benefits at an affordable price point, making them a great option for entrepreneurs on a budget. While each tool has its pros and cons, they all offer valuable features that can help you build and grow your online business. Whether you need web hosting, email marketing, graphic design, or automation tools, there's an affordable option available to help you get started. With these tools, you can streamline your business processes, improve your communication, and grow your business without breaking the bank.

  
  

  Related Article : How to Find and Fill Your Pipeline with Top Tier Prospects

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