Blake Stockton

Virtual offices give you the legitimacy of a physical address without having the expense of leasing or staff. It’s an excellent option for foreign businesses needing a presence in the United States (or vice versa). It’s also a great option for online or at-home businesses needing the prestige of an office address. Virtual offices provide an inexpensive way to get started in a new location. We evaluated and researched the best virtual office companies. Top Six Virtual Office Companies How We Evaluated Virtual Office Companies The best virtual office companies offer more than mail forwarding. We looked at a dozen and chose the best based on the following: Price: Most of the companies we selected had clear pricing listed on their websites. You’ll find prices ranging from $37 to $200 per month. Some offered other services for additional fees. Business Address: The companies listed offices in multiple states, some in several countries. Addresses include suite numbers as well. Phone Numbers: Many offered phone numbers for the local area. Receptionist: An “office” doesn’t mean much if it’s an empty room—or all calls go to your mobile. We looked for receptionist services for greeting, taking messages, and more. Space to Use: Most of the companies not only offered an address but actual office space you can use or rent on a limited basis. Extra Services: Internet, audio-visual equipment, and even catering. Services like these give you the advantage of a real office as needed. Northwest Registered Agent: Best Overall Virtual Office Company for Small Businesses Northwest Registered Agent provides the most services for the best price, making it not only the best but also the cheapest virtual office company on our list. For only $49 per month, you can get a physical address to use on your forms and advertising, plus a phone number, receptionist, mail handling, and mail forwarding. However, it only has a handful of locations, which can be a drawback if you need more flexibility. Northwest Registered Agent Pricing Northwest offers a single price of $49 per month for any of its virtual office locations. It also offers Registered Agent services for $125 and VoIP for $9 per month. Northwest Registered Agent Services Physical office address: Get an address in a tax-friendly state. The virtual office includes conference rooms, board rooms, and meeting suites. It offers a directory listing with a unique suite number. Northwest says it does not reuse suite numbers. Telephone service: Each virtual office comes with a phone number with a local area code. In addition, the office receptionist can answer your phone for you. Mail handling: Northwest can accept mail at your business, offering same-day mail scanning and weekly physical mail forwarding. If you only need mail forwarding, then you can purchase it for $40 per month. Additional services: Registered Agent Service Form a New Company Register an Existing Company in Other State(s) Wyoming Domestication Mail Forwarding Service FCC 499-A Telecommunications Registered Agent FMCSA BOC-3 Trucking Compliance VoIP Business Phone Number Yearly Business Compliance Filing Why We Like Northwest Registered Agent and What Users Think Northwest offers small businesses the most services for the price. If it’s not necessary to have your virtual office in a location it doesn't provide, then it’s your best deal. While we didn’t find any reviews on the virtual office service specifically, the company did rate 4.4 out of 5 stars on BirdEye. Users especially praised the responsiveness of customer service and the knowledge and helpfulness of the agents. Davinci Virtual Office Solutions: Best Virtual Office Company for International Businesses Davinci Virtual Office Solutions is a popular and highly-regarded virtual office company with 5,000 office locations around the world. Prices vary by location, but each comes with a physical address you can use, mail receipt and forwarding, access to rooms and equipment, a registered agent, and lobby greeters. It charges a setup fee and for extra functions but offers excellent service. Davinci Virtual Office Solutions Pricing Like many virtual office companies, Davinci Virtual Office Solutions charges depending on location and requires a six-month contract. Here are a few examples to give you an idea of pricing. Casper, WY: $100 per month Addison, TX: $60 per month Aventura, FL: $54 per month Boca Raton, FL: $145 per month New York, NY: $50 per month Los Angeles, CA: $60 per month Washington, DC: $110 per month San Juan, PR: $75 per month Birmingham, UK: $91 per month Tokyo, Japan: $198 per month In addition, Davinci Virtual Office Solutions charges a setup fee running from $150 to $200. It’s one of the few virtual office companies that do this. Davinci Virtual Office Solutions charges for many of its services such as a live receptionist. Prices start at $99 per month for 50 minutes of answering time. You can call Davinci Virtual Office Solutions to get a quote for the services you need. Davinci Virtual Office Solutions Services International reach: If you travel and need an office space in another country or are trying to establish an international presence, Davinci Virtual Office Solutions offers virtual offices in 45 nations, over 5,000 locations in all. Fully equipped offices: Need a place to work or meet a client? It offers conference rooms, board rooms, day offices, and training rooms. Use the online platform to reserve your workspace by the hour, day, or week. Rooms include access to high-speed internet and presentation tools such as smart boards, LCD projectors, plasma screens, and video conferencing. Physical office services: Like the other services on our list, it offers mail forwarding, or it will hold your mail securely until you can pick it up. You can meet clients at the location or reserve an office. The lobby has greeters to assist your visitors and add to your professional image. Additional features: Davinci Virtual Office Solutions also offers live and auto receptionists, live chat, event spaces, incorporation assistance, and discounts to software and services like Web.com and LegalZoom. Why We Like Davinci Virtual Office Solutions and What Users Think In addition to the international scope, Davinci Virtual Office Solutions offers excellent customer service. Users reviewing on Consumer Affairs gave it 4.9 out of 5 stars. They mention the speed of response to concerns and the staff’s willingness to work with them. Servcorp: Best Virtual Office Company for Businesses Needing Temporary Space Servcorp offers big packages with larger price tags. However, you only need to commit to a month, and each package comes with the ability to access space worldwide. The virtual office package also offers access to the Servecorp membership for networking and marketing. Servcorp Pricing Servcorp’s virtual office packages are the most expensive on our list, with prices running from $100 to $700 per month. However, you can get cheaper packages. Virtual Office Package: All the features in the packages below plus Eight hours per month free private office or meeting room use at your home location (NY locations include four hours private office, two-hour increments) Three hours per day free co-working space access at any worldwide location outside of your home city Free use of a private office outside of your home city for one day per month Unique Wi-Fi password in co-working spaces and private offices Communications Package: Local business telephone number Dedicated receptionist at your chosen location Calls answered in your company name and handled as you instruct Receptionist takes messages and then relays them to you by email, SMS, or phone 24/7 interactive voicemail Address Package: Business address Mail and courier management services Worldwide complimentary access to any executive co-working space for up to one hour per day Access to unique password Wi-Fi in co-working space and private offices Membership Package: Direct access to Servcorp business community Reserve meeting rooms, boardrooms, private suites, and co-working space Servcorp Services Office space: You get access to physical workspaces for up to three hours per day, free. Servcorp has nine locations in New York City, Chicago, Houston, and Washington, DC. Also, you can access boardrooms, meeting rooms, and private offices in 150+ locations. Personal assistant: Regardless of the package, you have access to a personal assistant for limited tasks. Secure, fast internet: The locations all have top-of-the-line internet services. The free service uses a common password, but you can purchase a premier service to get your own login and password. Why We Like Servcorp and What Users Think While Servecorp has fewer locations, it offers more for its packages than other virtual office companies. Plus, despite the fewer options for business addresses, it still offers access to spaces in areas around the world. Having a no-obligation, monthly plan is also a plus for businesses that are just starting out or only need a virtual space on a temporary basis. Regus: Best Virtual Office Company for Flexible Plans Regus is an office space company that offers virtual office space as one of its programs. You can choose from three plans, either selecting a simple address and mail handling or getting a full virtual office program with a receptionist and access to office and meeting spaces. Starting prices run from $37 to $207, depending on the plan. The prices also change by location and length of commitment. Regus Pricing Regus offers three plans Physical Address: starting at $37 per month Business address Mail handling Virtual Office: starting at $150 per month Business address Mail handling Business lounge access Local phone number Virtual Office Plus: starting at $207 per month Business address Mail handling Business lounge access Local phone number Daily use of meeting room Five days’ access to office or desk space per month Here are some prices for the Physical Address Plan, which includes an address and mail handling services only. For higher plans, expect an additional $120 or more per month. These prices are based on a 24-month agreement, but you can choose the length of your agreement. Expect prices to increase as you reduce time commitments. Ft. Collins, CO: $75 per month Addison, TX: $46 per month Aventura, FL: $56 per month Boca Raton, FL: $90 per month Brooklyn, NY: $46 per month Los Angeles, CA: $46 per month Washington, DC: $46 per month San Juan, PR: $56 per month Birmingham, UK: £52 per month Tokyo, Japan: ¥7,500 per month Regus Services Office space: With the virtual office plans, you can access business lounges or get a desk or office for a few hours or days. You can also rent a space at a 10% discount using the Regus app. Mail handling: You can have mail sent to the office space and held securely until you pick it up, or you can have it forwarded for a small fee. Phone services: You can select a regional or national phone number, get a professional phone answering service, or use your business line on a pay-as-you-go basis. Receptionists answer in your company name. Additional programs: Regus also offers permanent office space, co-working space, and a membership that gives you access to any of its office buildings around the world. You also get DragonPass Classic access to airport lounges with the app. Why We Like Regus and What Users Think We like the wide range of options for virtual offices, both in terms of location and pricing. For example, in one city, you can choose from locations varying from $46 per month to $158 per month, with the Regus app alerting you to best deals vs most prestigious addresses. Also, the flexibility of the plans makes it a good choice if you are growing your business in an area, as you can start with the physical address and work up to the full plan with its daily room access and additional desk access. While 76% of users on Trustpilot gave Regus 4 or 5 stars, it’s recently had a rash of one-star reviews. While many virtual office sites have suffered because of COVID-19, most of the complaints here have been about billing rather than mail pickup issues. Alliance Virtual Offices: Best Virtual Office Company for Businesses Needing a Receptionist If you need to establish an active physical presence in a specific location, Alliance Virtual Offices is worth looking into. Choose from any of the 50 states and 42 nations, often with multiple locations within each. Not only does Alliance Virtual Offices offer a physical address and mail handling, it also has a receptionist to answer calls and greet visitors in your name and manage your appointments. Alliance Virtual Offices Pricing Alliance Virtual Offices requires a six-month contract. Like many companies, Alliance Virtual Offices’ pricing varies by the location of your office. Here are a few to give you an idea: Casper, WY: $84 per month Allen, TX: $50 per month Aventura, FL: $50 per month Boca Raton, FL: $99 per month Brooklyn, NY: $79 per month Los Angeles, CA: $95 per month Washington, DC: $100 per month Cancun, Mexico: $50 per month Birmingham, UK: $140 per month Tokyo, Japan: $155 per month Alliance Virtual Offices charges a one-time setup fee of $100. Plus, it charges for use of physical space and dedicated phone numbers. Alliance Virtual Offices Features Physical offices with amenities: For $10 per hour, you can book a day office, conference room, or business lounge for meeting clients or getting work done away from home. Mail held or forwarded: You can have mail delivered to the address, where you can pick it up at any time, or you can have it forwarded for postage and a small handling fee. Live receptionists: Alliance Virtual Offices’ spaces include actual receptionists who answer calls in your company name Monday through Saturday. They can take messages or forward calls, plus manage calendars and schedule appointments. Business phone: For an additional $30 per month, you can get a phone number. You can choose a local number or a toll-free number. It comes with a VoIP system with over 50 features. Why We Like Alliance Virtual Offices and What Users Think Having an active receptionist included in the deal sets Alliance Virtual Offices apart from its peers like Davinci Virtual Office Solutions, which charge for this service. Its prices are also competitive for what it offers. Reviewers give it 4.1 out of 5 stars on ConsumerAffairs, with many of the one-star reviews stemming from issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sococo: Best When You Need a Literal Virtual Office Looking for a literal virtual office—an online venue where your employees can meet up, network, have meetings, and more—no matter where they are physically located? Sococo offers a different take on virtual offices from the other companies in our lineup. Using communications technology, it creates a virtual office space online where people can meet and collaborate. Sococo Pricing Sococo rates vary by seat, with each seat getting up to 500 minutes per month usage of the video and audio conferencing and screen sharing tools. It has a 14-day free trial. 2–49 seats: $13.49 per user, per month 50–99 seats: $12.59 per user, per month 100–249 seats: $11.69 per user, per month Sococo Services Choose floor plans and office decor for your virtual environment Integrates with Zoom, Webex, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams Live audio and HD video conferencing Multiple concurrent screen shares In-app chat Document sharing Shareable meeting links for guests Contact a teammate to pull them into a real-time discussion or create collaboration View the office to see work happening in real time iOS and Android mobile apps Why We Like Sococo and What Users Think What makes Sococo superior to communicating by chat or voice is that with a virtual office, co-workers can see where people are and their availability. Users say it’s much easier to start impromptu meetings or “knock” to interrupt people who are “working in their office.” Reviewers on Trustpilot give Sococo 7 out of 10 stars, saying that in addition to the useful format, the sound quality is better than they get on other virtual conferencing apps. Bottom Line Virtual offices are a great way to establish a physical presence in another location, whether for legal reasons or to get your foot in the door of a new market. They can provide you with more than a mailing address; some offer receptionist services and use of the physical space as well. Northwest Registered Agent provides a cheap virtual office program that nonetheless beats other more expensive options in that it offers phone and receptionist services. While its locations are limited, it’s a great choice for the budget-minded business. Thinking about starting a business? Learn more in our complete guide on How to Start a Business.

A well-written, well-researched business plan is vital to the success of a new business or venture. It can attract investors and help you get a bank loan. Not every businessperson has the time or expertise to craft a winning business plan. Fortunately, there are companies with decades of experience that will assist. We evaluated several and found the six below to be the best business plan writing services available. Top 6 Business Plan Writing Services How We Evaluated Business Plan Writing Services All the business plan writing services we evaluated had MBA writers and years of experience in many industries. To distinguish the best, we examined the following: Price: Most do not list prices, although customer quotes put many of them in the $3,000 range. Expertise: We considered years in service, qualifications of the writing and management teams, and industries served. Types of Business Plans: Some companies focus only on plans for funding or strategic planning. Others offered more specific plans like visa business plans. Still, others narrowed their focus more tightly. Some also offer pitch decks and presentation-ready formats. Turnaround Time: The average business plan turnaround time was two weeks, with additional time for revisions. Always ask about how much time you get for revisions and if there are additional costs involved. Additional Services: Several of these companies offer additional services to help you succeed. If you are considering mentorship or know you’ll need some assessment, having one of these companies build your plan could give you a head start in building a relationship. Bargain Business Plan: Best Overall Business Plan Writing Service Bargain Business Plan is one of the least expensive business plan services we reviewed. Still, it offers experienced writers and a wide range of plans that includes immigration and visa plans. Overall, it has excellent reviews from customers. You can view samples of their well-designed plans. It’s the only service that provides flat-rate pricing as well. Bargain Business Plan Pricing Bargain: $1,599. For startup businesses with simple business models looking to apply for small business loans or seeking a blueprint for development Economical: $1,999. For startup and existing businesses with a more complex operation, such as restaurants and child care centers Optimum: $2,799. For businesses seeking government grants, investments from venture capitalists, and funding through the SBA’s CDC/504 Loan Program L-1 Visa: $1,999 E-2 Visa: $2,199 EB-5 Visa: $3,499 Consultations: Free Bargain Business Plan Services Detailed Business Plans: All plans include custom written business plans with market analysis, financial projections, and marketing plans. Higher-level plans offer more details, and each plan is designed for its specific purpose. For example, SBA loan versus visa. Quick Turnaround: Drafts are done in seven to 10 days, with 14 days of unlimited revisions. Experience: Bargain Business Plan has served 900 industries over the past 12 years and has worked with 500 partners and 10,000 customers. For immigration business plans, they work with immigration experts across the country. User reviews praise their expertise and attention to detail as well as share successes. Why We Like Bargain Business Plan Startups don’t always have a big budget for business plans, but it can be a key document for achieving success. Bargain Business Plan offers custom, well-researched, and beautifully designed business plans at excellent prices. The willingness to revise is a big plus as well. Optimal Thinking: Best Plan Writing Service for Startup and Growing Companies Optimal Thinking says it best works on business plans for “early stage and existing businesses expanding organically or via acquisition.” It claims a 92% success rate with its business proposals. In addition, it offers other programs to help businesses succeed. Optimal Thinking Pricing Varies anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000, depending on plan and scope. Call for a quote. Optimal Thinking Services Expertise: Optimal Thinking has team members who are senior business executives, MBA writers, and industry experts in financing, operating, and marketing companies of all sizes. It  also has 27 years’ experience in writing business plans. Plans address potential roadblocks: Optimal Thinking helps ensure success by anticipating potential business challenges, such as restrictive government regulations, economic issues, or market industry changes. Then, it includes ways to work around or through these issues. Additional Programs: The company offers mentorship, employee motivation programs, and business assessments of communications, resources, opportunities, and more. Why We Like Optimal Thinking Optimal Thinking works with large companies such as Red Bull and Warner Brothers. Its writers have extensive experience in financials and business. Applying that knowledge to a business plan, even for a startup, means you will get not only a well-written and well-researched plan but also one that is informed by their years of expertise. This is also a company you can build a relationship with—get coaching and assistance in other areas of your business. Wise Business Plans: Best Business Plan Writing Service for Specialized Plans Wise Business Plans has one of the widest varieties of plans of the providers we reviewed. Its business plans are well-researched and thought out, as well as beautifully designed. It works to make sure your ideas and the plan are sound and offer additional services to help you with execution, including funding referrals. Wise Business Plans Pricing Pricing varies, though users have quoted prices around $3,000. To get a specific quote, call for a consultation. After the first revision, Wise Business Plans charges $199 per revision. Wise Business Plans Services Variety of business plans: Wise offers the most variety of business plans of those on our list: Investor Business Plan Bank Business Plan Strategic Business Plan Nonprofit Business Plan Franchise Business Plan L-1 Business Plan E-2 Business Plan EB-5 Business Plan EB-5 Regional Centers Merger And Acquisition Business Plan (M&A) Private Placement Memorandums (PPM) It also offers professional feasibility studies, PowerPoint presentations, pitch decks, and straight market research. Additional Services: Wise Business Plans can provide other services to help you execute your business plan, including: Bookkeeping Services Graphic Design Services Logo Design Flyer and Brochure Design Services Business Printing Services Concierge Services Business Consulting Services for Startup Company Website Design Business E-books Resources Small Business Marketing Services Experience: Wise Business Plans hires MBA writers, financial and market analysts, and graphics designers. The company has done thousands of business plans in over 400 industries. Why We Like Wise Business Plans Wise Business Plans has a reputation for doing more than creating a plan for you. It challenges you to make sure your assumptions and ideas are the best they can be. Reviewers on its Facebook page praise the quality of the final product, noting especially the graphics. Pro Business Plans: Best Business Plan Writing Service for Startups & Canadian Visas Pro Business Plans gets props for the focus of its plans. While all the services we reviewed will build custom business plans, Pro Business Plans is one of the few that has plans that specifically focus on specific issues. It also has industry experts in finance/accounting and immigration. Pro Business Plans Pricing Pricing varies—call for a consultation. Pro Business Plans Services Focus: Pro Business Plans offers the usual range of business plans: SBA/bank, investment, L-1, E-2, EB-5. However, it also has plans specifically for nonprofits, startups, and the Canadian visa (PNP) program. It also has a pure market analysis product if your goal is to understand your industry before launching your business or expanding into a new area. Experience: Many Pro Business Plans team members come from major accounting firms or have extensive experience working in venture investment capital. The company has served over 900 industries and has over 500 partners, including contacts in the visa application process. Fast Turnaround: You can get your business plan drafted in four to seven calendar days, with seven days of close collaboration to get all the details polished. Why We Like Pro Business Plans In addition to the variety of plans and experience of the writers, what impressed us about Pro Business Plans was that users said they often went beyond simply writing the plan, providing advice and coaching during the process. Other reviews praised its market and financial research. Go Business Plans: Best Business Plan Writing Service for Visa Business Plans While Go Business Plans can work with any industry, its business consultants have had notable success with E-2, EB-5, and L-1 visa business plans. It can create business plans for investors, Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, and strategic and internal planning. Go Business Plans Pricing Go Business Plans does custom pricing within the range of $2,000 to $10,000. Go Business Plans Services Customized templates: The writers create custom plans. First, they schedule a one-hour interview with you for the basics, then conduct market research, financial analysis, and company and industry analysis, and compare you to the competition. They work with you to ensure it meets your expectations as well as SBA standards. Advice and Assistance: Go Business Plans brainstorms and researches business strategies to advise you and can help with creating a website, generating leads, implementing marketing, and other services. Immigration/Visa Business Plans: Go Business Plans has helped entrepreneurs from over 100 countries get their visas. It has drafted plans for 300 lawyers and over 1200 applicants. It works directly with your lawyer to make sure the plan and the legal applications are consistent as well. Extensive market research: The business consultants have access to over 15 market research databases, including some of the top-tier ones like IBISWorld, Euromonitor, Hoovers, Mintel, Statista, Freedonia, Frost & Sullivan, Forrester, and First Research. Why We Like Go Business Plans This business plan writing service offers expertise at competitive prices, and according to past customers, is willing to go the extra mile to help ensure success. Many customers of its business plans went on to use its other services such as website development. LivePlan: Best Business Plan Writing Software for DIY Rather than a consulting service that writes the plans for you, LivePlan is a software that helps you build a business plan. Plans start at $20 per month, and prices decrease if you purchase a six-month or annual plan. It offers additional tools to monitor your company’s progress, as well. This is the right choice for the entrepreneur on a budget or one who has done the research and needs a software to help them put it into an attractive format for presentation. LivePlan Pricing LivePlan has a pay-as-you-go system but discounts for multiple months. Your first month is only $10, and it offers a 60-day money-back guarantee. $20 per month, for monthly plans (First month $10) $18 per month for six months $15 per month for 12 months LivePlan Features Ease of use: Start by filling out the questionnaire and follow the instructions to create a basic plan. The software creates the financial tables, charts, and reports. Choose from 10 themes to create a professional-looking report that is SBA-approved. Integrations: Sync to your QuickBooks or Xero to create reports or update sections. Export plans to Word or PDF, or put it in PowerPoint to make a slideshow presentation. Tools that go beyond the business plan: LivePlan offers real-time performance dashboards to track budgets and goals. Benchmark data shows you how you are faring compared to others in your industry or location. Create and track milestones for measuring your progress as you grow. Help features and examples: If you are blocked or unsure how to create a part of your plan, you can access over 500 examples in all types of industries and watch expert tutorials. Have a problem with the software? Reach support by phone, email, or chat. Why We Like LivePlan LivePlan offers an economical way for businesses that are comfortable with their data to create professional business plans for investors or banks. Additionally, it lets you create as many as you wish, so you can customize your plans for your audience or need or update them as your company grows. With budgeting and forecasting tools, it also helps you execute your business plan so your company can succeed. Other Business Plan Writing Services Worth Considering: : Cayenne provides a highly qualified team of writers and has experience not only in business plan writing but also in other investment materials and private placements. It’s a good service for those looking for funding. : This company has highly qualified and educated writers with extensive international experience. It is good for international businesses and business plans for strategic planning and mergers or acquisitions. : This company is more expensive than most on our list (prices ranging from $10,000 to $49,999) but is a highly reputable company that has created over 18,000 business plans for SMBs to multimillion-dollar investment projects. : This company provides business plans for investing, franchises, nonprofits, banks/SBA loans, and more. It also provides other business services from idea development to website design. : You can find qualified business plan writers on freelance sites like Upwork. They may be less expensive. Before hiring anyone, be sure to check their qualifications and portfolio. Bottom Line Business plans are not cheap to create, but they can pay off by getting additional investment, secured loans, visas, or a clear direction for your company’s growth. For research purposes, be sure to know which type of business plan is right for your company. Each of the six business plan writing services reviewed offers decades of experience, high-quality reports, and reasonable prices. Learn more about How to Start a Business in our complete guide.

Free business software helps your company save money and become efficient. You can use free business tools to do accounting, accept payments, and pay employees. To evaluate and rank this kind of software, we analyzed features, overall quality, online user reviews, and our personal experience with the tools. Below is our list of 23 of the best free business software solutions available. 1. Wave: Free Accounting Software Wave is an accounting, invoicing, and receipt tracking software for small businesses. We rank it as one of the best free accounting software available. Its free plan includes bank and credit card connections, unlimited income and expense tracking, and unlimited receipt scanning with Android and iOS apps. Wave’s invoices have professional templates you can customize based on your business needs. The accounting software is cloud-based, so you can access it on any device with internet access. With its free software, Wave is missing payroll abilities. For an additional monthly cost, you can do employee tasks like manage vacation time, calculate benefits, and pay your employees. Overall, Wave’s online user reviews indicate that users enjoy the software’s overall ease of use. User complaints center around tech issues and poor customer service. 2. Square: Free Point-Of-Sale Software for Small Retailers Square is a free point-of-sale (POS) software. A point-of-sale records and processes payments from customers. Overall, we consider Square the overall best free POS software. When you sign up for a Square account, you receive a free magstripe reader. Included with the Square software are analytics and reporting, inventory management, and a basic customer relationship management (CRM) system. Additionally, you get a free Square online store that syncs your in-store and online inventory, so you know exactly how much product you have in stock. The costs of Square come when you process a payment. For every swipe, Square charges 2.75%. So for every $100 paid from customers, you have $97.25 deposited in your bank account. The 2.75% rate is competitive with other payment processors. 3. Zoom: Free Video Conferencing Software Zoom is a cloud-based platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars. Its free accounts provide unlimited one-on-one meetings and group video conferences limited to 40 minutes and 100 participants. All video calls are fully secured with SSL and AES 256-bit encryption. A unique feature of Zoom is its active speaker view, which is a dynamic technology that shifts the video feed to the current speaker. With this, you don’t need active video management. Zoom's free version is missing reporting features. So, you can't see how many meetings are being held in your organization or how many people are attending. If you’re a consultant or coach doing one-on-one meetings, the free version of Zoom is all you need to have successful video calls. During video meetings, you can teach and show examples by sharing your computer screen. You can also record your screen for the client to listen to or watch at a later date. Additionally, during the meeting, you can send links from Zoom’s chat feature. 4. Google Docs: Free Document and File Storage Google Docs is part of a suite of free cloud-based tools provided by Google. With Google Docs, you can create word processing documents and share them with team members. The team members can edit the documents at the same time. All the writing and edits are saved in real time. Google Docs is a great free alternative to Microsoft Word. A downside of the free version of Google Doc is its storage is capped at 15GB. Many business owners struggle with figuring out how to share documents, photos, and videos with co-workers or remote workers. Something unique about Google Docs is the ability to upload photos, images, and documents and share a link with whoever needs to download them. This saves time because you don’t have to share the photos or documents from a physical device like a USB flash drive. Additionally, your business documents, photos, and videos will never get lost or misplaced because they are stored in the cloud. 5. Zoho CRM: Free Customer Relationship Management Software A customer relationship management (CRM) system helps businesses and sales teams manage customer relationships. Zoho CRM is the most comprehensive free CRM solution on the market. We consider Zoho CRM to be the best free CRM available. One of its top free features is its marketing automation, which other free CRMs typically charge for. Along with 10 email marketing templates and email marketing authentication tools, Zoho CRM includes a website visitor tracking system that tracks leads as they go through your sales pipeline. 6. Homebase: Free Employee Scheduling Software Homebase is a software that helps you manage appointments or shift scheduling. It is one of our top-rated free employee scheduling software. The free version of Homebase is for one location and an unlimited number of employees. It includes features like scheduling, time sheets, a time clock, reporting, and the mobile app. Restaurants, hair salons, retail stores, spas, and massage businesses all benefit from a scheduling software. What the free version is missing is SMS messaging and mobile GPS clock-in. If you need to send reminders to customers about their upcoming appointments, you have to pay an additional cost. If you have off-site employees and want to use the GPS clock-in to confirm their locations, you need to pay an additional cost as well. 7. Freshdesk: Free Customer Support Software Freshdesk is a customer support (help desk) software that helps organize support request tickets in order of receipt and ticket communication with customers. This is helpful for businesses that have a product or service that customers may need assistance with. Many business owners use a support ticket software if they find email to be too complicated to manage their customer support. A con to Freshdesk’s free version is the inability to automate tickets using time and event-based triggers. The Freshdesk software also helps you create a “knowledge base” to display on your website. A knowledge base is similar to an in-depth frequently asked questions (FAQs) section on a website. Customers use the knowledge base to answer their own questions and resolve their issues. Additionally, if you’re communicating with the customer through email, you can link to your article, answering the customer’s question without having to type out the full answer. 8. Mailchimp: Free Email Marketing Software Mailchimp is a web-based email marketing software. You need an email marketing software, in addition to using an email provider like Gmail, so you can send an email out to hundreds or thousands of customers at once. Additionally, you can use Mailchimp to tag customers based on certain behaviors, like purchasing, and to send emails to targeted customer lists. This is helpful when you want to send a specific message to a group of customers. For example, if you operate a residential maintenance business, you can tag customers by certain services they received, like gutter cleaning, pressure washing, landscaping, and snow shoveling. Once you tag customers according to their previous service, you can send a targeted email reminding them they can receive the service again. As a general marketing rule, the more targeted an email is, the more likely a recipient will open and respond to it. There are a few downsides to Mailchimp’s free email marketing plan. You won’t be able to use custom branding on the emails. You also cannot A/B test different subject lines in the same email campaign; this determines which subject lines receive a higher open rate. Additionally, you don’t get access to all email templates. 9. Payroll4Free.com: Free Payroll Software Payroll4Free.com is a completely free payroll software—we rated it as the best free payroll software available for under 25 employees. The program's free features include pack check calculations, form preparation, and reports on earnings. Payroll4Free.com also includes QuickBooks integration. What the software is missing is that it doesn't file your taxes or provide year-end W-2s or 1099s. Overall, the reviews for Payroll4Free.com are positive. However, there have been complaints regarding its slow customer service for free users of the software. 10. Canva: Free Graphic Design Software Canva is a free tool that helps you design graphic images such as logos, posters, flyers, and social media photos. Many small business owners use Canva to design social media images. Canva has preset sizes for social media images like the Facebook banner and YouTube thumbnail. One great part of Canva is its free educational tools. You can enroll in its free online design school to watch tutorials on applying color palettes, creating animated GIFs, and designing Instagram Highlights. Canva’s free version is missing some features like downloadable designs with transparent backgrounds. With paid versions, you receive access to over 400,000 free photos, templates, and illustrations; you can also use branding features with the ability to upload custom fonts and color palettes. 11. Sumo: Free Website Tools to Automate Growth Sumo provides a suite of free tools that help you turn your website visitors into customers. All tools come with free options that can be upgraded for additional customization, features, and analytics. One of Sumo's appealing aspects is that it's no cost to integrate its tools with platforms like WordPress, Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento. One of the most popular tools from Sumo is List Builder, which is a pop-up that uses smart technology. The technology tracks when website visitors are most likely to enter their email address and shows the form at that time. Another popular tool Sumo created is the Welcome Mat, which is a pop-up that fits the entire screen after a page is loaded. This is a great way to direct a website visitor’s attention to a discount or freebie. 12. Hootsuite: Free Social Media Management Hootsuite is a social media management platform that lets you plan social media content in advance of posting. Manage posts and interact with comments from social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Hootsuite’s free plan is limited to one user, three social media profiles, and 30 scheduled posts. However, that is plenty of in-advance content for the average small business. Once you see results, you can upgrade to the professional plan with unlimited scheduling. Something unique about Hootsuite is its mobile app. If you’re away from your computer, you can still schedule social media posts in advance through your phone. You can also reply to comments on any social platform and assign inbound messages to team members. 13. WordPress.com: Free Website and Blog Builder WordPress.com is a free website builder and content management system. This is different from WordPress.org, which is a more complicated (and robust) website platform. WordPress.com is a great free option for a small business on a budget. If you start with the website builder, you can eventually transition your content to WordPress.org. With its free option, WordPress.com offers 3GB of storage, which is more than enough for the average small business. Free hosting (space on a server where your website information is stored) is included with WordPress.com. The only required cost is purchasing a domain name, which is the www.(yourcompanyname).com or your web address, and this is around $12 a year. Additionally, you can choose to create a blog instead of a business website. A blog organizes content in chronological order, whereas a website has more flexibility but is less organized. 14. Trustpilot: Free Tool to Get Online Reviews Trustpilot’s free version comes feature-rich to help you obtain and share online reviews from customers. You will be notified of every new review that comes through Trustpilot’s review link. If there is a negative review, you have the ability to respond. Every month, you can send up to 100 verified invitations for customer reviews, which means customers are asked for documentation proving they bought your product or service. Integrate product reviews on ecommerce websites such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. Additionally, you can embed Trustpilot’s review form on your website and direct customers to visit your website to leave a review. There are sharing features included in Trustpilot’s free software plan. Once your business gets a positive review, share it to Facebook, Google My Business, LinkedIn, or Twitter directly from the Trustpilot dashboard. 15. Nav: Free Business Credit Reports Nav provides free personal and business credit reports. Business credit can affect whether you qualify for loans and leases, get favorable terms from suppliers, or win bids on government contracts. You can establish business credit by opening a business bank account and getting a D-U-N-S Number with Dun & Bradstreet. You can also build business credit by using its credit cards and working with vendors that report payments. In addition to the credit reports, Nav provides free fraud monitoring with 24/7 alerts. You also have access to a one-on-one consultation with a lending specialist. Nav provides this consultation, because once you know your business credit and build it up, you can eventually purchase one of Nav’s business lending products like a loan, line of credit, or invoice financing. What you can get in Nav’s paid version is $1 million in identity theft insurance protection. 16. Trello: Free Visual Project Management Software Trello is a Kanban-style project management solution, which focuses on balance of work load. You can use it to organize several aspects of your business such as clients, projects, and to-do lists. We consider Trello as one of the best free project management software available. You’re able to add due dates to Trello’s individual cards to keep on top of deadlines. The software can be used on web, mobile, and desktop. Online user reviews for Trello are generally positive. Users say they like the user-friendly and intuitive interface. They also enjoy features like the card activity history, and third-party app integrations like Slack and Jira. Negative user reviews centered around the software being too simple for more complicated project management and difficulties with finding a specific card on the activity board. 17. Evernote: Free Note Taking and Organizing App Evernote is an app that allows you to record and organize notes, files, photos, and voice memos. It’s cloud-based, which means it can be accessed on any device. A unique feature that Evernote has is that it integrates with the Google and Siri digital assistant, so you can record notes by voice and without having to open the app. Additionally, once you record a note in Evernote, you can send it to employees even if they don’t have the app. 18. Hunter: Free Email Address Finder Hunter is a software that searches for emails listed on a particular website. This tool saves you time by not searching the website looking for available email addresses, which are sometimes hidden. When searching for emails, you can filter by the type of email, for example, “contact@...” Additionally, you can search by a person's name, which can be a huge time saver if thousands of emails are available on the company’s website. Hunter’s features benefit anyone in public relations or business development who needs to get in contact with a specific person. Something unique Hunter provides is the most common email structure the company uses. This helps you accurately guess an email address that isn’t publicly available. For example, Hunter will say “{first}@company.com” to indicate most emails at this company are simply the person’s first name. When Hunter does provide an email address, it indicates if the email is verified with a green check badge so that you can email the recipient with confidence. 19. AND.CO: Free Proposal & Invoice Software AND.CO is an invoicing, proposal, and expense tracking software. In its free pricing plan, you are able to add one active client and only use AND.CO’s standard contracts. If you’re a startup or new to contracts, this is a great opportunity to learn more about important sections and clauses in business contract agreements. There are several other tools you can take advantage of with AND.CO’s free plan. You can create invoices for your client and receive payments at a competitive payment processing rate in addition to managing and organizing your projects with its task management software. If you’re working for a client by the hour, you can use AND.CO to track your time and easily send invoices for the time your work was recorded. Something missing with AND.CO’s free plan is the ability to edit contracts. 20. JotForm: Free Online Forms JotForm is an online form builder that can generate leads, collect payments, and distribute surveys. The forms are fully customizable to fit your brand, so you can add colors and your logo. Additionally, you can use JotForm as a way to collect payments from clients. It integrates with over 30 payment processors. JotForm also integrates with online apps, like Mailchimp, Salesforce, and Google Drive, so you can automatically import information collected from the forms. Online user reviews for JotForm are generally positive. Customers say that the form builder is easy to use and that they enjoy using the premade forms. Other customers like that they didn’t have to learn code to create the forms and are happy with the ability to add as many form conditions as they want. Complaints for JotForm were about how the collected information was unorganized and the low quality of PDF-based forms. 21. Mailtrack: Free Email Tracking for Gmail Mailtrack is a free software that integrates with Gmail. It tells you when an email was opened by a recipient and how many times it was opened. You can enable real-time notifications that tell you the moment that an email was opened. Mailtrack’s free option allows for unlimited email tracking. If you are doing a lot of networking and pitching through email, Mailtrack is indispensable. Many business owners believe that a potential customer or client is not interested in their product or service because they did not receive an email response. Before a business owner makes that assumption, they need to know if the email was ever opened. Mailtrack gives you the ability to know that firsthand for free. 22. SurveyMonkey: Free Online Surveys Before rolling out a new product, service, or feature, it’s common for businesses to survey their customers. SurveyMonkey provides free online surveys that you can customize and send to customers. Its free plan is limited to 10 questions or elements per survey and is limited to 100 responses. This is still a great option for a startup to get feedback from early customers on their experience using its products or services. Surveys on SurveyMonkey come fully customizable. You can also choose from the templated surveys like customer satisfaction, event surveys, job satisfaction, and employee engagement. SurveyMonkey has a mix of positive and negative user reviews. There have been complaints about the limited features with the free software. Other users enjoy the robust mobile app and numerous integrations it has with other software applications. 23. Evite: Free Online Invitation Software Evite is software that provides free online invitations and helps manage the guest list. There are pre-designed e-invitations that are customizable for occasions like networking events, retirements and farewells, fundraisers, real estate open house, and general meetings. Evite also has a mobile app available for both Apple and Android. You can use the app to create and manage your event. With Evite, you can also encourage event attendees to take photos and upload them to the event’s private feed. This is a great way to gather social media content for future use. Evite has a unique feature that allows you to encourage event invitees to contribute to a crowdfunding campaign with a link in the e-invitation. This is an excellent option if you need to raise capital before opening your business. Bottom Line Free business software is a great way to save money and be more productive in your business. If you’re starting a business, then the above free business tools are a low-risk test as you figure out the best systems and software for you. If you like them, keep them and possibly expand their features with a paid version. If you don’t like them, stop using the software with no-added costs to your business.

Home business ideas are on the minds of many people trying to start a full-time or side business during COVID-19. Fortunately, with new technology and software, the opportunities to create a low-cost at home business has never been easier. Online platforms such as , , and help connect people looking for products and services with those who can provide it. Here are 28 home-based business ideas for 2021 in no particular order: Online-Based Businesses 1. Podcasting We’ve seen the number of people interested in podcasting rise drastically over the past decade. While it may seem that there are a lot of podcasts available, it is small compared to the number of blogs: 1 million to 600 million. However, we anticipate that the growth of podcasts will increase as Google and artificial intelligence (AI) incorporate them into search results. A benefit for podcasters is the growing ad spend in the industry. Podcasting has seen an influx of advertising dollars over the past few years, and in 2021 it’s expected to surpass $1 billion. Unless your podcast is an instant hit or you already have an audience, it will likely take several years to grow your listener base. In terms of sponsorships, popular podcasts charge advertisers between $10 to $50 for every 1,000 listeners. 2. YouTube Channel Similar to podcasting, a YouTube channel is another low-cost home-based business idea. If you have a smartphone, you can start a channel. The content may not be high-quality, but you can grow a following if the content is interesting or informative. One benefit of creating a business on YouTube is the increased revenue opportunities built into the platform. Companies are turning to YouTube to advertise. The platform is expected to bring in net advertising revenues of 5.21 billion in 2021—a 52% increase from 2019. To make money from a YouTube channel, you need at least 1,000 subscribers. That’s a YouTube rule. However, even before you reach that threshold, you can use your newfound video creation skills as a freelancer marketer for small businesses. 62% of businesses use YouTube as a channel to post video content. It’s the second most popular channel for businesses to share their video content—Facebook is first. 3. Ecommerce Store As an entrepreneur, how can you take advantage of the ecommerce trend? If you have a product currently, consider selling it online. Or, if you don’t have a product, consider dropshipping—which is selling someone else’s product on your website and social media such as Instagram. In the United States, ecommerce has been growing steadily and is expected to surpass $740 billion by 2023 according to Statista. Take advantage of trending ecommerce businesses during COVID-19. Online pet supplies and food have grown by 28.5% in 2020. Online vitamin and supplement sales have increased by 15% in 2020. 4. Sell Handmade Products This home business idea is different from ecommerce because you will be likely using a third-party website such as Etsy or Amazon Handmade. Why use these platforms to sell your products instead of your own ecommerce website? Because you’re gaining access to their website’s visitors. On Etsy or Amazon Handmade, you can sell items such as: Jewelry Pet toys Candles Ornaments Bath bombs Face masks Knitted products Personalized planners When using a third-party platform, you will create your own store on their website. It will take time to build up your store's credibility. For example, on Etsy, your number of sales, product reviews, and number of times your shop has been favorited displays at the top. The potential trust customers have in your products and store will increase as you build satisfied customers. 5. Web Development & Digital Marketing Websites have been around for decades, but people still need quality sites. As a web developer, you have many options to create a website. You can learn to code, which will enable you to create custom websites. You can learn how to use WordPress, which creates a semi-custom website. Or you can learn to create a website on a builder platform such as Wix. A semi-custom website will earn you about $2,500. However, custom websites built by code can earn you up to $15,000 or more. Digital marketing is an umbrella term for any online strategies to get a business more customers. This includes strategies such as online ads, social media marketing, search engine optimization, and Google My Business. The goal of digital marketing is to help a business make money. If you can do that, you can create a business as a freelancer or marketing agency. 6. Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing can have several meanings, but typically it is when you sell someone else’s product for a fee. We suggested the opportunity with affiliate marketing because the amount of advertising dollars companies have spent on it has been steadily growing. Companies are becoming increasingly open to affiliate marketing because they typically only pay a referral fee when a sale occurs. This is how affiliate marketing could work for you: You recommend a product, service, or software on your website. For every person that clicks on your unique link and purchases a product, you earn a commission. If you earn $30 per sale, and there are 100 sales during a month, you earn $3,000 for that month. The challenge is how to find people to sell affiliate products to? You will need to build an audience through education, entertainment, or both. This audience could be on a website, email list, social media channel, or video platform. Once you have the audience, then you can recommend products or services for them. Businesses Inexpensive to Start 7. Pet Sitting Business If you love pets and have experience taking care of them, consider becoming a pet sitter. While you can do your own local marketing to find customers, you can also use a website such as to connect with those looking for dog boarding, walking, and day care. Regarding pricing, a simple hourlong walk in the local neighborhood may cost $15 to $20. An hour-long trip to a dog park requiring more intense work and supervision may cost $20 to $30. Day-sitting costs an average of $37 per day, with a range of $25-$50. Overnight boarding may cost between $50 and $75 per night. To increase your pet walking and sitting fees, consider offering additional services, such as mobile grooming or dog training certification. 8. Car Washing and Detailing The auto detailing industry has seen a 4% annual growth rate over the last five years. This is a low-skill, easy business to enter. You can try out any products or car detailing methods on your own vehicles before using them on customer vehicles. The challenge here is to find a location to work out of. Consider contacting the owners of business parks, local gas stations, or large strip malls to see if you can work out of their parking lot for a fee. 9. Car Rental A less labor-intensive car-related business is renting out your car on —the world's largest car-sharing marketplace. The idea is similar to Airbnb, but for cars. The amount you can make per day depends on a few factors. One is the price you set for the care. The other item you need to establish is the level of insurance and protection for the car. Choose from several plans, including a risk-averse plan where you only earn 60% on each car rental but pay no deductible on damage. Or for the less risk-averse, earn 80% with a $1,625 deductible. 10. Online Dating Consultant If you enjoy matching your friends for dates, an online dating consultant may be the right home-based business for you. The online dating market has been growing steadily and is expected to increase substantially in the future. In 2017 the market was valued at $6.4 billion, and it's expected to reach $9.2 billion by 2025. All segments across the dating industry are expected to grow. How can you take advantage of this current and growing industry? Consider specializing in helping others put their best selves forward online as an online dating consultant. It’s difficult for people to describe their likes, dislikes, and interests in an appealing way. You can also coach them on what to say online to help them get that first date. 11. Personal Trainer While COVID-19 has made it a challenge to be an employed personal trainer, there is still a market for freelancer personal training. This training can be done in your own home, a client's home, or a public place such as a park, beach, or parking lot. The overall fitness training market is expected to have a 10% growth through 2026. To succeed as a personal trainer, it's helpful to have documented results from clients. If you're just starting your first business, consider taking on a couple of dedicated clients at a reduced fee and document their results. To attract clients, display their success on your website, social media, and physical marketing materials. Depending on your experience, and overall client demand, you can generally expect your personal trainer rate to be between $11 to $52 an hour, with yearly earnings of $23,000 to over $100,000. 12. Bookkeeping A bookkeeping business manages the income and expenses of a business. A bookkeeper may also process payroll and prepare tax returns for clients. This is a flexible business to start because it can be done virtually—you can get clients from all over the US. To attract your first clients, it's helpful to earn a bookkeeping certification. Consider earning a certificate from the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB), which costs $574 and includes a four-part exam. Or consider the National Certification of Public Bookkeepers (NACPB), which costs $600 and requires 4,000 hours of work experience if you don't have the necessary educational experience. 13. Yoga Instructor The popularity of yoga has exploded in the past decade: Similar to personal training, yoga instruction has taken a hit with COVID-19. However, people still want to practice yoga. The freelance yoga instructor can take advantage of the demand by hosting classes outside. Or, if you’d like to teach classes virtually, consider a software to assist such as . This software provides the tools needed to have a successful virtual yoga business. With the software, create multiple membership options, set up autopay, and integrate email marketing. Working With Hands Business 14. Massage Therapy When choosing a business to start, consider following the trending businesses. Massage therapy is one of the fastest-growing businesses in 2020, with a 23.6% growth. Recent technology and software have made it easier to have an at-home massage therapist business. One challenge of having your own mobile massage business is not having a storefront that is a natural marketing asset. As you build up your brand and client-base, consider using websites such as to connect with clients. Soothe allows clients to connect with mobile massage therapists and book appointments in the comfort of their own homes. 15. Tailor and Seamstress Alteration Similar to massage therapy, a tailor and seamstress can have a mobile business as well. Visit a client’s home to take measurements and pick up the garments. At home, make the adjustments needed. The pay for a tailor or seamstress depends on the type of work. A simple hem may only cost $10 to $15. Or, you could charge up to $300 to alter a wedding dress. 16. Antique Refurbishing If you like discovering older items at garage sales and auctions and working with your hands to refurbish them, consider the business idea of re-selling antiques. This is commonly done with older furniture. How much you can make refurbishing antiques and older furniture depends on the quality and type of product. Also, you need to be able to get your product in front of the right buyer. To price out a piece of furniture, you can charge a little less than a similar item at full price. If you develop a brand name for yourself, you may find that clients come to you to refurb their furniture. 17. Herbal Farm Stand Herbs sales are expected to grow at a steady rate of around 2.1% in 2021. Now, technology has opened new opportunities to grow herbs in the comfort of your backyard. If you’re interested in growing food, herbs may be more appealing to you because of the smaller footprint. Regarding cost, at a minimum, you will likely need to spend $300 for a mini-greenhouse and raised bed. However, you could purchase a premium, and more automated grow system from . The total cost for a 20' by 48' ZipGrow Vertical Greenhouse is around $27,670: 18. Personal Chef & Meal Prep If you enjoy cooking, then consider starting a personal chef and meal prep business. This business prepares food for busy individuals and families. Meal delivery service popularity such as Blue Apron and Hello Fresh, has increased steadily over the past several years. However, not everyone wants to cook their own meals. Consider creating a business where you cook meals in your own home or the home of your customers. Skilled & Knowledge Businesses 19. Graphic Designer What makes a graphic designer a great business to start from home are the specialization opportunities. To get started, choose a specific need on a social media platform. For example, you could specialize in Instagram Story design or YouTube channel banners and thumbnails. Create a few examples of your specialization for your portfolio. Next, consider creating a profile on  to attract your new clients. While you may think it's best to list graphic design expertise in several areas, a focused profile on Fiverr will attract clients looking for a specific service. Once you grow your reviews, then you can experiment with offering other design services. 20. Solar Energy Installation You can see that as the cost of solar power drops, installations have increased: What makes this type of business great to start is how easy it is to market and sell. Potential customers quickly understand how they can save money with solar. As a consultant, you can show them the financials behind the upfront investment and how long they will save money on solar versus their current energy set up. To get started in this business, you’ll need to become familiar with solar power installations. Your state may require licenses to install and sell solar, so be sure to do your research. Start with your own home. Then move to family and friends. During this time, source suppliers, and learn the ins-and-outs of installation. As you grow your customer base, hire additional employees to install the solar panels. 21. Voice-Over Artist If you are a singer or have a rich voice, consider becoming a voice-over artist. With the rise of e-learning and e-books the demand for voice-over artists is high. E-learning, whether for corporations, or simple explainer videos is a great opportunity. Additionally, the diversity of voice quality has increased with people looking for unique accents and dialects. 22. Publicist Work in public relations is expected to grow by 7% by 2029, which is faster than most industries. The opportunity here is to be a freelance publicist for several companies, including small-to-medium sized businesses. Smaller businesses may not be able to afford a full-time public relations specialist, but they can afford a part-time freelancer to present their image and brand online. A publicist also meshes well with digital marketing. If you understand the latest platforms and features such as TikTok and LinkedIn Stories, you can provide guidance and direction on how a company can best present its business on these new opportunities. 23. College & Education Consultant If you enjoy helping people get into the best educational opportunities for their desired lifestyle, then consider becoming a college and education consultant. This position helps high school students and adults get into college. Additionally, this position can help people find opportunities outside of college. Alternatives to college, such as Lamda School (coding school) and Profession Certificate Training Programs with Google, provide people with in-demand skills and connections with employers. Many people don't know about these career opportunities—you can help them. This employment field is projected to grow 8% from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. As educational opportunities develop, we will need experts to help people prepare and navigate the application processes. Service Businesses 24. Home Day Care If you enjoy taking care of children, or have a child to watch during the day and believe you can watch a few more, consider starting a home day care. In the United States there are over 280,000 regulated home day cares. To open your home day care, you may need a license from the state so check your state or county requirements. To give potential clients (parents) confidence and peace of mind in your child care abilities, you may also want to obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential. The CDA provides self-directed learning and online learning programs. 25. Airbnb Host Airbnb rentals have seen a surge since the first lockdowns of COVID-19. People are looking for a socially-distance safe way to escape home. If you believe your home would be an excellent place to rent out to travelers and vacationers, consider renting a room or the entire house out to Airbnb renters. Additionally, with your Airbnb rental, you can earn more income by creating an experience for guests. The ideas for experiences can be endless. You can teach guests how to do something, such as dancing, surfing, or painting. You can also put on a show or a tour. Consider these add-ons to make a unique experience for your guests. 26. Photographer When starting your business as a photographer, it’s best to specialize in a particular type of photography. All of your marketing and advertising needs to center around that specialty. Specializations include weddings, headshots, products, fashion, and real estate. Photography equipment can get expensive. The camera, lenses, lighting, and editing software can add up to thousands of dollars, even for a beginner. To start this business on a budget, consider purchasing used equipment on or . Test any items for quality before making the purchase. 27. Online Tutoring Finding clients interested in home tutoring services has become a lot more accessible over the past several years. As an online tutor, you don't have to find your own clients. Websites such as , , and  help tutors connect with students. Online tutoring doesn’t have to be for school curriculum. If you have skills and a background in music, sports, finance, or economics, you can connect with those looking to learn from your expertise. Earn anywhere from $30 to over $200 for your expertise. 28. Cleaning Business Starting a cleaning business is appealing to many at-home workers because of its low-cost and availability of clients. Especially because of COVID-19, companies are looking for deep cleans of their locations to limit infection spread. You can start a basic cleaning business for under $1,000. Or, you can choose to work with a franchise such as for around $4,000. This franchise fee includes guaranteed customer accounts, training, and marketing support. Bottom Line One of the best ways to start a home-based business is to practice the service or sell the product for family and friends. In exchange for a free or discounted rate, get testimonials from all your first customers. Once you have results and quality experiences to share, market those results to your potential customers.

A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis is an exercise to help you make a business decision. The decision could be for a simple endeavor: adding a new product—or more complex like starting a business. You may choose to do a SWOT analysis on your own. However, we recommend doing it with others to get an additional perspective. The most common use of a SWOT analysis is to evaluate a significant business decision, such as changing marketing strategies, adding a new product, or starting a new business. You may want to include the analysis in a business plan, but it works best for internal use. 1. List Your Strengths (Internal) Strengths, quite simply, are what your company is good at, right now, that will make the project a success. You also need to consider if the strength is unique to your industry or if you do it better than your competitors. For example, offering takeout is not a strength if every competitor offers takeout. Consider the following when listing your business’s strengths: What makes your company stand out? What does your company excel at? What do customers love about your product or company? What internal resources (skilled staff, new software) do you have that make the project more likely to succeed? What tangible assets (intellectual property, capital, proprietary technology) make it easier to complete the project successfully? Example of small business strengths: Domino’s Pizza used to have a strength of delivery in 30 minutes or less until that became the industry norm. The funds from the sale of PayPal allowed Elon Musk to fund SpaceX. Wendy’s hilarious and engaging Twitter team led to a huge following. 2. List Your Weaknesses (Internal) Weaknesses are areas internal to your business that make it hard to complete the objective. If you can’t change them, it’s a weakness. Think about your internal processes as well as how you compare to your competitors. Also, think longer term. For example, it’s not a weakness that customers don’t know about the product you want to make. But, it is a weakness if the marketing team was laid off. Consider the following when listing your business’s weaknesses: What does your company lack that makes it hard to achieve the goal? What do your competitors do better than you? What are your resource limitations? Is this idea/project already being done well by others? What causes your customers to leave? Examples of small business weaknesses: Kodak developed the first digital camera but could not get approval to sell it. Tie Rack was too specialized in neckwear alone to capture a broad audience that also wanted shirts. Commodore computers lacked resources to keep up with PC advancements. 3. List Your Opportunities (External) Opportunities are advantages that lie outside your business operations. Generally, you cannot control the opportunities, but you can capitalize on them. This opportunity could be the inspiration for the project, but think beyond that. Examine the market, competition, and outside forces. Consider the following when listing your project’s opportunities: Is there a rising need in the market? Is there little competition? Do you have a ready-made audience? Is there an outside event or press coverage that you can piggyback onto? Example of opportunities for projects: COVID-19 increased the demand for hand sanitizer and face masks. 3D printing opened up opportunities for custom-made items. Amazon, eBay, and ecommerce made it possible for specialty stores to reach broader markets. 4. List Your Threats (External) Like opportunities, threats lie outside your business and influence. You may not be able to plan for threats, but you need to consider and prepare for them. Don’t skimp on this section, as it could uncover the issue that saves you from putting money and effort into a project doomed to fail. Consider the following when listing your project’s threats: Government regulations Emerging competitors Negative press about your business or idea Customer attitudes changing for the worst about your product or business Specific examples of possible threats: Government restrictions on store openings and diner limits due to the pandemic hurt small businesses and restaurants. Internet rumors (true and false) have led to boycotts of companies such as Starbucks and Hobby Lobby. The rise of digital streaming killed video stores like Blockbusters. 5. Clean up Your Analysis Once you have all your ideas down, go back through them and evaluate each. Does it apply to the question, project, or goal? Is it in its proper place, or should it be examined differently? After your review, rearrange the points in order of importance. This process will help you evaluate the impact of each section. Deciding Where To Put an Issue You may find that items may apply to more than one section. For example, a weakness could be seen as an opportunity. However, for a SWOT analysis, separate them by internal (something you can control) versus external (something you cannot control). Alternatively, an issue might be a threat to one kind of project while an opportunity for another. For example, the recent social distancing rules would have been considered a threat if expanding your restaurant’s dining area but an opportunity if adding a drive-thru. Get Feedback on Your SWOT Analysis Once you have your analysis complete, it’s time to get feedback. First, have anyone involved with creating the analysis check it for accuracy. Then, get others to look it over who can give you an outside perspective, poke holes in your logic, or suggest additional considerations. Run it past co-workers involved in the project, and share it with friends or family. Take it to your business mentor if you have one. If you don’t have one, consider contacting your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or SCORE office — they provide no-cost advisers to help you evaluate your analysis. Update Your SWOT as Needed A SWOT can be a living document, evolving with a project. Therefore, consider keeping it nearby to update as events change, weaknesses are tackled, or new strengths arise. This strategy can help you stay on track and identify new opportunities or needs as they arise. Alternately, schedule a quarterly or annual review of your SWOT to gauge your progress. Implement Your SWOT The first objective of a SWOT for your small business is to decide whether a goal is worth pursuing. Therefore, if after the SWOT you decide against the project, congratulate yourself! Your work just saved you a lot of time and money and may have uncovered a different angle or project to pursue. If you are moving forward with a project, use your SWOT analysis for convincing others, mapping strategies, or generating ideas. It can also help you organize the overall project. Turning Your SWOT Into Actions and Objectives To turn your SWOT into objectives, you need to examine your strengths and weaknesses against your opportunities and threats. Say, for example, your software development team excels in quick turnaround of new features. If an opportunity is a rising need for a particular tool, an actionable item would be to develop that feature. You can also create objectives by addressing weaknesses. These may be long-term strategies as opposed to action items. Adding Your SWOT To Your Business Plan A SWOT analysis can be an essential part of your business plan. It provides a strategic component to the plan and guides execution. It helps your co-workers understand the reasoning behind goals and policies. Further, it reassures potential investors that you have thoroughly thought through your project or business. While a SWOT should inform your business plan, you don’t necessarily need to include it in the business plan or presentation you provide investors. It may make you look like an amateur and won’t add value. With investors, you should be talking about what you will do as a result of your SWOT, not the analysis itself. Why Do a SWOT Analysis? Ultimately, you’ll want to do a SWOT analysis to determine if you should move forward on a project. A SWOT analysis helps you objectively examine: Internal advantages (strengths) Internal disadvantages (weaknesses) External advantages (opportunities) External disadvantages (threats) Once you’ve completed the analysis, you’ll be able to see the pros and cons of your venture. You’ll identify specific areas you need to address. If you’re using SWOT to test a business idea, you can decide if the idea is worth pursuing. You can also use this to develop and prepare for arguments when presenting the project with investors, partners, or loan officers. Bottom Line A SWOT analysis provides a good foundation for taking on a new business endeavor. Use it to objectively evaluate your objective. At the end of the analysis, don’t just throw it in a drawer, never to be seen again. Pull out strategies from the exercise and implement them to improve your business. If you’d like no-cost SWOT feedback or assistance, contact your local SBDC or SCORE office.

LegalZoom is an online legal service that assists you with the LLC (limited liability company) registration process. While you can register your LLC yourself through the designated state website, many business owners choose to have an expert, such as LegalZoom, assist with the process. Throughout LegalZoom’s LLC registration, you may see questions and other products for your business that you’re unsure you need. We breakdown what LegalZoom provides with an honest discussion of the process and why you should or shouldn’t pay for the service. Before you start reading the information below, it may be helpful to pull up the LegalZoom LLC registration page and follow along: 1. Choose an LLC Name & Confirm It’s Available The first step to set up your LLC with LegalZoom is to enter your desired business name: If the name is available, you’ll be able to continue with your LLC registration. If it isn’t available, you will need to enter another business name. Here are requirements you’ll typically need to adhere to when naming your business: Be unique: Your LLC's name shouldn’t be similar to an existing LLC in your state. Don’t confuse customers: Do not give your LLC a name similar to a competitor’s with the intent of confusing the public and trying to get their customers. Avoid restricted terms: Your LLC name should not include restricted words, like “bank” or “insurance.” Check your Secretary of State’s website for a list of restricted words. 2. Define the Purpose of Your LLC Once you receive the great news that your business name is available, you’ll be prompted to answer a few questions—when you expect to start your business: Is this your first LLC: And what industry your business is in: LegalZoom asks these questions to provide you with more relevant information and services throughout the process for your particular business. 3. Indicate Whether You’ll Hire Employees This question is for LegalZoom to learn more about your business and provide additional services. It will not affect your LLC. 4. Identify a Registered Agent The next question you’ll answer is who you should choose as your Registered Agent (RA)? A registered agent is your business’s official contact for legal and state documents. You could choose yourself as your own RA. However, if you do so, you or an employee must be available Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to receive a legal document such as a summons or subpoena. If you’re not available during this time, you could lose your LLC status with the state. If you won’t be available, or you would like LegalZoom to handle this for you, consider using the company as your Registered Agent. For many business owners, having an outside RA gives them peace of mind that they won't miss any necessary business documents. The cost to have LegalZoom act as your Registered Agent is $249 per year. 5. Choose Recommended LLC Documents The "Essential Documents" portion of the LegalZoom LLC sign-up process comprises three components: Operating Agreement, employer identification number (EIN), and business licenses. Here’s a further breakdown of the “Essential Documents” LegalZoom is offering: Operating Agreement An operating agreement describes how businesses run and help avoid or resolve company disputes. Though most states don't require LLCs to file operating agreements formally, many require you to have one on file with your business. Regardless of what your state requires, we recommend drafting an operating agreement for your LLC to formalize your management structure and eliminate uncertainty. You can purchase an operating agreement through for $99 when you’re filing for an LLC. However, if you decide later that you’d like LegalZoom to help with your operating agreement, you can always purchase the service through your online account. Employer Identification Number The EIN is the number the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) uses to identify your business. It’s free to request one through the IRS website. However, if you’d like to skip that step, you can pay LegalZoom to do it for you. Obtaining the EIN is an essential legal step when starting your business—without it, you cannot file taxes. Business License If you don’t know the type of license or permit your business needs, or if you’re unsure how to apply for them, LegalZoom will research the requirements for you. This service can come in handy if your business needs multiple licenses from several local and state government agencies. 6. Choose Additional Business Services Before selecting your LLC pricing package, the last step is to review LegalZoom's additional business services: Smart Employer and Total Compliance. If you said earlier in the registration process that you won't have employees, you likely wouldn't see the Smart Employer services. Smart Employer The Smart Employer is a legal package that includes legal advice, consultations with tax professionals, and unlimited legal forms. There is a 10-day free trial, and then the Smart Employer legal package is $39.99 per month. If you believe you will have legal questions for an attorney, or if you will need to create customized legal forms, this may be the right package for you. You could use the legal forms for employment, client, or vendor contracts. Total Compliance The Total Compliance package is a safeguard against missing any LLC renewal deadlines. If you miss a deadline, you may be charged a late fee by the state. And if you miss your LLC renewal date by several months, you may lose your LLC status with the state. 7. Select an LLC Package and Pay The LegalZoom LLC cost varies depending on how fast you’d like your documents filed and your stats filing fee. The state filing fee ranges from $40 in Kentucky to $500 in Massachusetts. If you’re already in business and have customers, you likely want an expedited filing to get your personal assets protected as-soon-as-possible. If you haven’t started your business and can wait for your filing, choose the Economy package. LegalZoom LLC Packages at a Glance 8. Provide Final Details About Your Business Once your pricing package is selected, you'll need to provide the final details required to set up your LLC. The information required varies across states, but generally, it's your personal and business information. Additionally, LegalZoom will ask you to provide a payment method. Information LegalZoom will request after you select a package includes: Business address: Provide the address of your primary place of business. If there are state-specific requirements, LegalZoom will list them. Whether you’re a licensed professional: If you’re a licensed professional in a field like medicine, law, accounting, or architecture, you’ll need to form a Professional LLC. End of your fiscal year: Choose a date on which your fiscal year will end. Generally, this is Dec. 31. However, if your business receives a large portion of its revenue at a specific time of year, another date may be appropriate. Dissolution date: If you have a short-term business, such as one formed for a specific event, choose a dissolution date. Otherwise, your LLC does not need an established dissolution date. Owner names: Provide the names of each owner of your business. If it’s just you, enter your name only. Ownership interests: Detail whether ownership is measured in percentages or units. Then list each owner’s interest and choose the type of owner consent required for transfer of ownership. Management structure: Indicate whether your LLC will be member-managed or manager-managed by a group of owners or a third-party manager. This will determine who can open bank accounts, write checks, sign contracts, and otherwise bind the LLC. EIN information: If LegalZoom is obtaining an EIN for your LLC, provide information about the nature of your business. If you choose to obtain an EIN on your own, you’ll provide this information as part of that process. Contact information: Provide the name, phone number, and Social Security number of one of the LLC’s owners, managers, or president for the IRS. After filling out this information, hit submit, and will start preparing your documentation. Once prepared, it will send it off to your Secretary of State's office. When approved, LegalZoom will notify you via email. Then, after you receive the notification, your LLC is set up, and you're ready to start your business! Pros & Cons of Using LegalZoom To Form an LLC LegalZoom is an excellent tool for forming an LLC, but it isn’t the best choice for every small business. Though LegalZoom can save you time and money, the process may still be confusing, and it can’t replace an experienced attorney. Pros of Using LegalZoom To Form an LLC Full service: If you choose LegalZoom’s add-on services, the website can help you with everything from your initial filing to tax, legal, and compliance matters down the road. Saves time: By handling the paperwork for forming your LLC and providing additional support services, LegalZoom saves you time and allows you to dedicate your energy to building your business. Less expensive than hiring an attorney: Attorneys often charge anywhere from $150 to $500 or more per hour. Using LegalZoom to organize your LLC and handle other legal matters can save you and your business money. Provides additional support and important reminders: LegalZoom’s add-on services can help you remember important filing dates and answer questions about operating your business. Cons of Using LegalZoom To Form an LLC Limited expertise: Nothing can replace the expertise of a qualified business attorney. More expensive than some other services: The cost of forming a LegalZoom LLC ranges from $79 to $359 plus filing fees. Other websites provide similar services for filing fees only (as part of a trial) or from $49 plus filing fees. Longer turnaround times: Though LegalZoom offers seven to 10 business day turnaround times with their Express Gold package, many customers report long processing times and slow service. Potentially confusing: LegalZoom’s add-ons are helpful but can be confusing if you’re not sure what services you need to form your LLC. Plus, the pricing structure can be confusing if you opt for add-on services like a registered agent or tax consulting. Limited customer support: Customer reviews reveal that customer support can be unhelpful or challenging to reach. Bottom Line To set up an LLC, you’ll need to understand state-specific requirements, tax obligations, and other complicated issues like management structure and licensing. You can register your business yourself, but the process is time-consuming and confusing. Save money on potential legal fees by forming a LLC in about 15 minutes for $79 to $359 plus filing fees.

Numerous websites help you find franchises—but they are not all the same. Some websites have in-depth reviews, list international franchises, and provide direct support. Other websites may specialize in franchise resales such as BizBuySale and BusinessBroker.net. Here are the 11 best websites to find franchises: 1. Franchise Business Review Locations: USA-only Offer franchise resales: No Contact franchisors directly: Yes Support: Listings-only Standout Feature: Franchise rating system, gives awards for best franchises has researched over 1,100 franchise brands covering all business segments. The directory lets you search by industry, investment, and special interests like innovation or second-career. Franchise Business Review also offers a top 200 list. You may get value from its learning center with guides and articles for franchise beginners and new owners. This franchise website stands out from other sites because it provides excellent reviews. For each franchise, it grades them in areas such as training, leadership, core values, community, and the overall opportunity. Franchise Business Review offers a report card and score, along with a summary of the franchise. The website has unique questions and answers section for each franchise to know the business better. 2. Franchise Opportunities Locations: USA-only Offer franchise resales: No Contact franchisors directly: No Support: Listings-only Standout Feature: Useful links for startups, notes military discounts has been connecting franchisees and franchisors for over 30 years. The website is easy to use because it organizes popular franchises by industry, right on the homepage. Each franchise has extended summaries that include basic financial information, potential locations, notes on the best candidates, and whether the franchiser offers a military discount. What separates Franchise Opportunities from the competition is its overall network. The parent company has a franchise broker website called BusinessBroker.net. So, if you’re interested in a particular franchise but don’t want to start from scratch, it can help connect you with a similar resale. 3. Franchise Gator Locations: USA and International Offer franchise resales: Yes Contact franchisors directly: No Support: Listings and links to additional resources Standout Feature: Includes press releases, social media about the franchises lists hundreds of franchise opportunities around the world. After searching by industry, investment, or location, you will see an easy-to-read summary of the franchise. This franchise website offers an informational blog and lets you request information on multiple franchises at once. What separates Franchise Gator from other websites is that the franchise summaries are thorough. If available, they will list recent information like the franchise's Twitter feed, awards, and press releases. This is a great way to learn more about the franchise and its culture in a public setting. 4. FranchiseGrade.com Locations: USA-only Offer franchise resales: No Contact franchisors directly: No Support: No-cost adviser Standout Feature: Free access to advisers, in-depth franchise industry reports shines with its in-depth reports on over 2,500 of franchises in a large variety of industries. Its team has compiled in-depth reports for over 50 franchise industries. The reports include crucial information like the average initial investment for that industry and income potential. You can access these reports when you sign up for a free account. What separates FranchiseGrade.com from competitors is its free advice with a franchise consultant. In addition to messaging them with a question, you can contact one of its experts in franchises, such as its chief customer officer, vice president of franchise development, or chief executive officer. Yes—all their direct lines are listed on the website. 5. Franchise Direct Locations: USA and International Offer franchise resales: No Contact franchisors directly: No Support: Listings-only Standout Feature: Dedicated section for work-from-home opportunities provides information on some of the most popular franchises such as Ace Hardware, Midas, and Huntington Learning Center. It’s a franchise portal searchable by location, investment, or industry. Also, you can browse the top trending franchises through the site. While some sites let you filter by at-home opportunities, Franchise Direct’s website has a dedicated section for these businesses. Additionally, it provides several articles and resources to learn more about working-from-home. It’s an excellent place to start if you are concerned about the pandemic or prefer the at-home option. 6. All USA Franchises Locations: USA-only Contact franchisors directly: Yes Offer franchise resales: Yes Support: Listings-only Standout Feature: Franchise-specific resources such as lawyers, consultants, and brokers contains a searchable directory of over 3,000 franchises. Its software enables potential franchisees to make interview appointments directly with franchisors on the website. It also provides a curated list of resources for potential franchisees—lawyers, brokers, advisers, and consultants. What makes All USA Franchises unique among competitors is that it’s largely ad free. There is only one small ad on the site. The company does not earn revenue by advertising franchises. The majority of their revenue comes from its digital marketing arm: WebFindYou, a marketing agency specializing in franchises. A franchise directory largely without ads provides a much more user-friendly experience. 7. America’s Best Franchises Location: USA-only Contact franchisors directly: No Offer franchise resales: No Support: Listings-only Standout Feature: Suggests alternate franchises within listings is a comprehensive directory of thousands of successful franchises. You can search by industry, cost, and state. Franchise summaries include general information about the business, finances, history, and the number of units. It also lets you know if financing is available in-house. What makes America’s Best Franchises unique is its well-designed website. Its easy-to-read organization makes it a breeze to learn about franchises. This website also has an informative learning center with additional links to help you find more information. You can learn about securing financing, get recommendations for business groups and magazines, and find other useful advice. 8. TopFranchise.com Location: USA and international Contact franchisors directly: No Offer franchise resales: No Support: Listings-only Standout Feature: Largest selection of international franchises provides thousands of franchises from around the world. The franchise listings are well-curated and read more like a blog than a stale directory listing. If you’re considering starting your own franchise, it has quality resources and provide a no-cost consultation from an adviser. What separates TopFranchise.com from other websites is its international reach. Browse available franchises in countries like India, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. If you’re interested in bringing a different, international franchise to the U.S., this is a great website to start your search. 9. BizBuySell Locations: International Contact franchisors directly: Yes Offer franchise resales: Yes Support: Broker Standout Feature: Discover resale businesses and assets such as equipment If you are unsure if you want a franchise or an established business,  is a franchise and business portal worth exploring. Franchise summaries often include on-location photos, financial information, growth potential, and competition analysis. You need a paid membership to unlock further details, but you can contact the seller directly. One aspect that makes BizBuySale unique is that you can look for asset sales in addition to searching for franchises and businesses. For example, there are several asset listings for restaurant equipment. You can also purchase intellectual property (IP) such as a food recipe. 10. Franchising.com Locations: USA and Canada Offer franchise resales: No Contact franchisors directly: No Support: Listings-only Standout Feature: Great information for beginners, excellent resources for learning offers a wide variety of franchise opportunities. You can search by industry, investment, location, and business type,such as eco-friendly, home-based, or franchises specifically for women. The summaries are not as detailed as other sites, however, and to learn more, you need to request information through Franchising.com rather than directly. This is one of the best franchise websites for information about the industry in general. If you’re unsure what type of business you’d like to start, this info can help you make that decision. You can find guides, articles, links, and videos. Subscribe to its free newsletter to get the latest franchise industry info delivered to your inbox. 11. Franchise.org (International Franchise Association) Locations: USA and International Contact franchisors directly: Yes Offer franchise resales: Yes Support: Adviser and broker with membership Standout Feature: One feature of an overall organization of franchisers The International Franchise Association (IFA) operates . It lists thousands of franchise opportunities from IFA members. It lets you search by industry, using filters to drill down to location, investment, and even veteran status. It’s a useful tool if you know where your passion lies. It also lets you compare franchises. What separates the International Franchise Organization’s website from others is its resources. The downside is that the company is a dues-paying organization. However, members can take advantage of mentoring, networking, counsel, and more. Bottom Line Because of the effects shutdowns have had on small businesses, we are entering a buyer’s market for franchises. The pandemic will cause some franchise owners to sell, which means that you may be able to find a profitable and well-functioning business at a low-price. Instead of building the franchise from the ground up and hiring new employees, you could buy into a situation that makes your life as a franchisee much easier.

A patent's cost varies depending on its type, complexity, and if you hire an attorney. In general, you can expect the following costs to file a patent: USPTO fee (government): $50 to $700 Maintenance fee (renewal): $400 to $7,400 per year Patent lawyer (search and application): $1,000 to $10,000 Total patent cost: $1,500 to $15,000 For a specific type of patent, expect to pay: Utility patent (product): $5,000 to $15,000 Design patent (aesthetics): $2,500 to $3,500 Provisional patent (utility pending): $1,500 to $3,000 If your business is on a tight budget and cannot afford a patent attorney, consider using an online legal service. provides patent services including a consultation with a USPTO-certified attorney, patent search, and technical drawings by an illustrator. Get started with LegalZoom’s patent services today for $199 to $899, plus federal fees. Common Patent Costs USPTO Fees The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency that grants US patents and registers trademarks. Regardless of the patent, you’ll pay three categories of fees through the USPTO: filing, search, and examination. The fees collected by the USPTO include: Filing fees between $50 and $700: A USPTO filing fee is related to processing your patent application. The cost depends on factors such as the type of patent and whether you file electronically. Search fees between $40 and $660: These fees are associated with a patent search that reveals existing inventions or applications similar to your invention. Examination fees between $150 and $760: These fees cover the USPTO’s review of your patent application. The USPTO’s Fee Schedule includes a detailed summary of search, filing, and examination fees associated with each type of patent. Patent Maintenance Fees The utility patent requires a renewal fee. Due three times over the life of a patent, the fees range from $400 to $7,400. The cost depends on the size of the business filing and age of the patent. If unpaid, your patent protection expires. The rights under the patent lose enforceability. Consider these renewal costs when applying for a utility patent. Patent Attorney Costs A patent attorney has expertise in intellectual property (IP) law and helps inventors navigate the patent application process. Patent lawyers typically bill their fees hourly, although some work on a flat rate. The hourly rate for a patent attorney varies, but expect the total cost to be anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000. Patent lawyer fees cover: Performing a professional patent search: Your attorney will perform a search of the USPTO database to determine whether your idea is similar to an existing patent or application. Drafting the patent application materials: A patent lawyer will prepare the application materials to include the necessary information and meet the USPTO’s formatting requirements. Negotiating and interacting with the USPTO: Many patent applications involve complex or confusing information. Your patent lawyer may need to communicate with the USPTO to answer questions and provide clarifications. They will also defend your patent if the application is initially objected to or rejected. Types of Patents & How Much They Cost There are two major types of patents: utility and design. You can also obtain a provisional patent, which gives certain inventions patent-pending status for one year. Patent costs depend on the type of patent and the complexity of your idea. Types of Patents at a Glance 1. Utility Patent Cost Utility patents account for 90% of patents issued by the USPTO. They protect the creation of useful products, processes, or machines. For example, Apple has numerous utility patents on its iPhone, making it illegal for businesses to copy or imitate the product without a licensing arrangement. A utility patent cost ranges from $5,000 to over $15,000, including lawyer fees. If properly maintained, it lasts for 20 years. The breakdown of utility patent costs include: USPTO Filing Fees: $75 to $700 USPTO Search Fees: $165 to $660 USPTO Examination Fees: $190 to $760 Maintenance Fee: $400 to $7,400 Lawyer Cost: $3,000 to $10,000 Utility patent applications must include detailed descriptions of how the invention works. Because of the thorough explanations, the application process can be lengthy and expensive. Though expensive, utility patents are necessary for those who want to prevent others from manufacturing, selling, using, or distributing their products or inventions without your permission. Utility patents also require maintenance or renewal fees after three, seven, and 11 years of being in effect. If you’re on a tight budget and cannot afford a patent attorney, consider using LegalZoom to prepare and file your utility patent application. It charges $3,099, plus federal filing fees ($430 to $1720). will ensure your application is correct and file it with the USPTO. It will also follow-up as the application moves through the review process. 2. Design Patent Cost A design patent protects the aesthetics or design of a functional item. For example, Google has a design patent for its homepage because it’s considered a distinct feature of the overall search engine. Design patents cost between $2,500 and $3,500, including patent lawyer fees, and last for 14 years. The breakdown of design patent costs include: USPTO Filing Fees: $50 to $200 USPTO Search Fees: $40 to $160 USPTO Examination Fees: $150 to $600 Maintenance Fee: NA Lawyer Cost: $1,500 to $3,000 A design patent application is simpler than a utility application. It only needs to include an illustration of what the invention looks like with limited text. If you want to protect the appearance, design, shape, or general ornamentation of an invention, like a computer, you need a design patent. A design patent is less expensive than a utility patent. However, you can still save considerable money by using LegalZoom instead of an attorney. For $1,099 plus federal filing fees ($240 to $960), they’ll do a design patent search, prepare your application, and review your design drawings to ensure nothing is inaccurate or confusing. Then, when ready, submits the application to the USPTO. 3. Provisional Patent Cost A provisional patent grants a “patent-pending” status while you develop your invention, secure financing, or prepare your nonprovisional utility or plant application. Provisional patents last for 12 months, during which you must file a nonprovisional application. It may be one of your first legal steps when starting a new business. Obtaining a provisional patent costs between $1,500 and $3,000, depending on the invention's complexity. The breakdown of provisional patent costs include: USPTO Filing Fees: $70 to $280 USPTO Search Fees: Not applicable USPTO Examination Fees: Not applicable Maintenance Fee: NA Lawyer Cost: $1,000 to $3,500 Typically, an inventor uses a provisional patent to protect their idea and give themselves time to develop it further. Or they may need the time to market it to investors. After 12 months, it’s essential to submit a nonprovisional patent application. Otherwise, the provisional patent will expire, and you’ll have to apply for another one. For example, if you filed a provisional patent April 30, 2020, you must file a corresponding nonprovisional application by April 30, 2021. This process increases your cost because you’ll pay for two applications instead of one. LegalZoom has created software to help you navigate the process to file your provisional patent. The software will assist with submitting your invention design to the USPTO for $199 plus the federal filing fee ($70 to $280). All of patent products come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. How To Reduce Your Patent Costs There are four significant ways to reduce patent costs. You can save money by ensuring your invention is complete before filing an application and by streamlining the process. It’s best to be proactive about the contents of your application, instead of reactive when an issue arises. To reduce the cost of obtaining a patent: 1. Create the First Draft Before engaging a patent attorney, create a first draft of the patent application using an online legal service’s document library. This strategy can reduce the number of billable hours an attorney spends on the document. If you already have an attorney, ask them to provide a template so you can produce a first draft and save on drafting fees. 2. Patent a Complete Invention When you’re developing an idea, it’s tempting to file for a patent before the invention is complete. However, submitting an incomplete invention or design will waste your patent lawyer’s time and increase your legal expenses. Reduce patent lawyer fees by finalizing the details of your invention before filing your application. 3. Thoroughly Describe Your Invention Provide your patent lawyer an extremely detailed description of your invention. This will help avoid confusion, limit back-and-forth between lawyers and the USPTO, and reduce patent lawyer fees. 4. Start With a Provisional Patent If you want to obtain a utility patent but are still figuring out the details, apply for a provisional patent first, saving you money in the short term. This patent will give you time to start your new business centering around your product and develop it. Remember, when you eventually file for a nonprovisional (standard) patent, you’ll also have to pay for those costs as well. Pros & Cons of Getting a Patent Patents are an excellent way to protect intellectual property but aren’t always the best option. There are several advantages of filing a patent, such as increased credibility and a competitive edge. However, the filing process is costly and doesn’t offer permanent protection. Pros of Getting a Patent Security: Makes your investment worth it because it prevents people from stealing your idea. Intellectual property: Once patented, an invention becomes your intellectual property. Competitive edge: Holding a patent ensures that your competitors cannot legally use the same design or rely on the same functionality as your invention. Credibility and business value: A patent can improve your chances of selling an idea or service based on your invention. It prohibits competitors from stealing your IP. Revenue: Though not required to sell a product or service, patents give inventors rights to revenue from licenses to their inventions. Cons of Getting a Patent Lengthy application process: The application process for obtaining a patent can last several years. Liability/patent defense: When you obtain a patent, you become responsible for defending it. Transparency: Filing for a patent requires you to make every proprietary detail of your invention public. Limited coverage: A patent only gives you rights to the specific product described in the patent. Maintenance: Maintenance fees are required at three times during the life of a patent and add to the overall cost of a patent. Frequently Asked Questions About Patent Costs What Is a Poor Man’s Patent? A poor man’s patent is a document containing details of your invention that you mail to yourself and keep unopened. The patent applies the first-to-invent approach and uses the letter’s postmark as the invention’s conception date. The first-to-invent system was replaced with a first-to-file rule in May 2013, rendering the poor man’s patent obsolete. Should I Get a Provisional or Nonprovisional Patent? We recommend provisional patents as a lower-cost way to protect intellectual property while developing an invention. They’re a great way to protect inventions while completing development, arranging financing, or preparing the nonprovisional application. Though more inexpensive than a nonprovisional (standard) patent, they only last for 12 months. You’ll still have to pay for a nonprovisional application. How Do I Find a Patent Attorney? If you need a professional to guide you through the patent application process, consider Rocket Lawyer’s Find a Lawyer feature. On the website, choose “Copyrights, Trademarks, and Patents” in the pulldown menu and select your state. Rocket Lawyer will provide contact information, qualifications, and standard fees for local patent attorneys. How Much Does It Cost To Patent a Name? It is impossible to patent a name because patents are only appropriate for inventions, designs, and plants. If you’d like to protect a name, learn more about trademarks vs patents and if you should follow through with the trademark process. What Is a Plant Patent? Plant patents make up 0.3% of all patents granted. They are for newly-invented plant types that are reproduced under certain conditions. These patents do not apply to bacteria, as well as some types of plants. The average cost of obtaining a plant patent ranges from $4,500 to $8,000, including patent lawyer fees, and they last for 20 years if properly maintained. Bottom Line Before approaching a patent attorney or online legal service, it’s best to learn as much as you can about patents. Consider drafting up your own patent first with a standard patent template. Even a little knowledge will help you have a more effective conversation with an attorney. Additionally, by drafting the basics of your patent application, you may save an attorney time and pay fewer billable hours.