Thainks! Small Business Guide
A ever-growing list of resources and the best services and web-based tools for small business & startups that we find fantastical.
What is the TSBG?
A time saving list of handpicked services and tools that have helped us on our business journey.
Why are we sharing this?
One of the first things we get asked when working with new businesses is "what services and tools do you recommend?"
An underdog story!
We want to contribute by guiding small business communities everywhere and help our local economies grow.
Email somebody - a message and a link ⤴
Who are we and what do we do? We're Thainks! and we design logos, craft brands, and make websites that express your true essence and vibe. In the journey we took to get where we are we met a lot of business owners with passion and visions but not a lot of guidance.
Suggest a service to share. We're planning to add many more very soon.
Note: These companies do not sponsor us or pay us to be listed in this directory. We use these products in our own lives and workflows and want to share them with you. We love guiding new businesses to find the right solutions and grow confidence to shoot for the stars! Questions?
Online Marketing Tools
Utilize your time more efficiently with these marketing tools.
SumAll
All your marketing data in one place.
SumAll allows you to connect all of your online social accounts and data to compare their metrics against each other. You can also set goals, and make notes.
Price: Free
More: sumall.com
MailChimp
Send better email campaigns.
Here at Thain Creative, we use MailChimp to send timely emails to our clients. With their built in email designer, and social integration, it's a no-brainer for reaching out to your client's inbox.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: mailchimp.com
Buffer
Share to all of your social accounts.
Buffer is the best way to share content to multiple online accounts. Integrate Buffer into your workflow and schedule posts to encourage online social interactions.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: bufferapp.com
GoSquared
Website analytics in real-time.
GoSquared allows you to see who's on your website right now, and watch your website traffic unfold in real-time. Receive alerts, reports and tailored information.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: gosquared.com
HootSuite
Big time social account management.
If you're working with a large amount of online profiles, HootSuite is a great way to handle everything. With built in analytics and support for teams you can get a handle on everything.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: hootsuite.com
StatNut
Your social stats at a glance.
Seeing your online statistics is now a whole lot easier with StatNut. Take your phone out of your pocket for a quick glance with a beautiful layout.
Price: $0.99
More: statnutapp.com
Moz
Marketing through analytics.
Moz has been around to see all kinds of evolution in the world of marketing online. Their in-depth analytics provide valuable insights for you and your clients.
Price: $99/mo
More: moz.com
Litmus
Test & track your emails.
Litmus is a powerful set of tools to ensure quality is first when it comes to your emails. Avoid being chucked in the spam folder.
Price: $79/mo
More: litmus.com
Visit the complete directory ￫
The small business tools directory.
Productivity Tools
Organize your teams from anywhere and ensure everyone is on the same page.
Flow
Manage and discuss tasks.
Flow is a solid platform to delegate tasks and ensure everyone is on the same page. Get notified when a task is completed, and converse about the task at hand.
Price: $19/mo
More: getflow.com
Google Drive
Email, documents, file sharing & more.
As the leader in email, Google now has a platform called "Drive" where you can create & manage your documents, files and contacts from anywhere at anytime. We use it every day.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: drive.google.com
BookFresh
Appointment scheduling & booking.
This is the best online scheduling and appointment booking software we've found, and pairs incredibly well with your existing booking systems.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: bookfresh.com
Google Apps
Email hosting and more.
Google Apps is seriously the best solution for business email hosting because it ties into Gmail. That means you can access your email anywhere, on any device with all of Gmail's features.
Price: $50/user per year
More: google.com/a
Evernote
Organization for your life.
Evernote is a staple when it comes to organizing and remembering personal and business stuff using documents, photos, audio and everything in-between.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: evernote.com
Squarespace Note
Simple, connected note taking.
The connectivity of Evernote, with the simplicity of a pad and pen. Note is a great app for the iPhone that allows you to jot down notes and have them sent where you'll need them later on.
Price: Free
More: squarespace.com
Dropbox
File sharing and hosting.
If you're looking to share files with clients and co-workers, Dropbox is the solution. They are the staple in file sharing and we use them every day.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: dropbox.com
Murally
A whiteboard for everybody.
Murally is a whiteboard app for the next generation of business. Add documents, images, annotations and even website clippings to a whiteboard you can share with your team to collaborate.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: mural.ly
Hemingway
Better copy for your website.
Hemingway is your best friend when it comes to communicating your message. Simply paste in text and Hemingway tells you how to make your message easier to read.
Price: Free
More: hemingwayapp.com
Visit the complete directory ￫
The small business tools directory.
Communication Tools
Online tools for clear communication with your team anytime, anywhere on any device.
Campfire
The work-horse of team collaboration.
Campfire is the staple in online team collaboration and has been since it's creation. Real time chat with team members from anywhere, and in use by over 100,000 companies.
Price: $12/mo +
More: campfirenow.com
Google+
A great place for multi-person video chat.
Google+ is a competitor to Twitter and Facebook, but one stellar Google+ feature is multi-person video chat. Skype no longer offers that for free, and Google+ offers this functionality for free.
Price: Free
More: plus.google.com
Don't pay for texting.
What'sApp allows users to message each other much like texting, but with really useful added features. It's a great way for teams to stay in touch and share info and updates.
Price: $0.99/year
More: whatsapp.com
Skype
Live chat and phone calls.
Skype is the staple for small business communication. You can call any phone number, have phone calls go to your computer, and it's much more affordable than a landline or cellphone.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: skype.com
Zen Desk
Amazing support software.
Affordable support software that allows you to reach out to customers. Zen Desk a powerful support platform that you can use anywhere with a beautiful design.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: zendesk.com
Trello
Stay on the same page.
Work together and collaborate together using an organized task management system. They have a really unique "cards" system that we've found works very effectively.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: trello.com
Visit the complete directory ￫
The small business tools directory.
Tools for accepting payments
Streamline your process, using these hand chosen payment tools.
Square
Accept payments on your phone.
Square is a revolutionary way to accept payments using your iPhone or Android device. We use Square every day at Thain Creative to give customers a quick and easy way to pay.
Price: 2.7% per swipe
More: squareup.com
FreshBooks
Invoicing made pretty easy.
A streamlined invoicing solution that saves you time and impresses clients. Sends invoices & reminders automatically and allows clients to pay right away with their PayPal or Credit Card.
Price: Free (plans available)
More: freshbooks.com
Gumroad
Socially sell digital goods online.
Gumroad is the answer for musicians, designers & other creative types that want to quickly sell their digital goods online using a short URL.
Price: 5% + 25¢ per transaction
More: gumroad.com
PayPal
The leading online payment system.
Paypal is the leading and most versatile online payment system, used globally. Use it to send & receive payments and connect to other services.
Price: Free / 2.9% + 30¢
More: paypal.com
Stripe
Design your own payment system.
If you're a developer, Stripe is the best way to snag payments. Bake it right into your apps, and integrate into your existing systems.
Price: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
More: stripe.com
Visit the complete directory ￫
The small business tools directory.