Free Tools for Running a Small Business

Running a small business involves a set of recurring operational tasks that aren't complicated individually — sending an invoice, tracking an expense, generating a receipt — but paying a separate subscription for each one adds up fast when you're watching every dollar of overhead.

Getting paid, and proving it

A professional invoice for a customer, and a receipt once payment is received — the two most basic, most frequent documents in running any small business.

Knowing where the money goes

A simple expense tracker, with numbers actually broken down by category, makes tax time meaningfully less painful than reconstructing a year of spending from memory and scattered receipts.

The tax question that varies by state

US sales tax isn't one number — it varies by state and even locality. A quick calculator with common state rates built in avoids having to look this up fresh every time.

First hire, first contract

Once a small business brings on its first employee or signs its first vendor contract, an offer letter and a general service agreement template cover both moments without needing a lawyer for something this standard.

The complete operational toolkit: