5 Free Email Marketing Tools to Help You Grow Your Business

(We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.)

Free Email Marketing Tools to Help Your Business

If you're looking for ways to grow your small business, email marketing is a great place to give attention. With the free email marketing tools we will highlight in this blog, you can create beautiful newsletters, schedule automated emails, and track conversions. But first, let's discuss the question of why use email marketing.

Why Use Email Marketing

If you are not currently using email marketing with your home business, take a minute to read further and consider or re-consider adding it to the arsenal of marketing tools for cultivating active customers. You may have already considered using email marketing and rejected it in favor of social media or another venue. Allow me to suggest that you may not be properly framing the use of email versus another approach. The argument should not be one of either/or. It is not email versus social media or some other form, but email AND social media or another format. The two are not competing for marketing methods but complementary techniques.

Social media and SEO strategies are methods for driving traffic to your business site or page, but they are not necessarily the best methods for making customers of those who show up at your site or on your page. That is where email marketing can contribute. Campaign Monitor published data comparing email with social media. According to their statistics, the average click-through rate on social media is roughly 2.5%. Meaning that out of every 100 visitors to your content, 2-3 people will click on the item you are pitching to them. Even then, they are not yet customers. So far they have just decided to check further. They have not yet decided to buy or do whatever you're asking them to do.

Email, on the other hand, has an open rate of between 15-25%. In other words, 6-10 times greater than the response rate of social media. This is not such a head-scratcher when you consider that the email is going to people who have chosen to receive your emails. They already have a positive impression of your product or content. You have at least a slight relationship with them and none with most of those coming to your site. The longer someone remains on your email list and receives contact from you, the greater your relationship. So they are already predisposed to open a link in your email.

Another interesting data from Campaign Monitor is that email generates $38 for every $1 spent on it. An amazing 3800% ROI. So maybe it is worth rethinking your use of email marketing.

As you consider using email, your challenge will be determining how to glean those potential emails from people who appear at your site or page. Consider this. Your advertising dollars on Facebook or Twitter will only benefit you if you continue paying them. Whatever activity you generate with an ad campaign will not be repetitious once the campaign is finished. At least, for the most part. Another ad campaign will be required to get another uptick in activity that is similar. But you can send emails regularly with little cost and gain 6-10 times the results of your ad campaign. Might the wise thing be to put some or even most of your advertising money into building your email list without spending nearly as much overall on advertising?

I would say that email marketing is an essential consideration for any business. It's the best way to keep in touch with your customers and tell them about new products, services, or discounts. But it's more than just sending out mass emails. With the services described below, you can personalize your messages, making them more relevant for each email list segment.

Email campaigns allow you to:

- Target a specific audience

- Reach a large number of people

- Spend less to produce and send

- Customize them to fit the needs of each recipient

Should You Use An Email Marketing Service?

So if it is a good idea to use email marketing to enhance customer relations, is it also a good idea to use an email marketing service to manage your email marketing? My answer to this is yes. Here are some reasons why I think it to be a good idea. But after reading the reasons, I believe it to be a good idea; I will also suggest a hybrid approach in which you might use a combination. In other words, combine the use of a marketing service with the help of an SMTP relay service.

Case for Using An Email Marketing Service:

Arguably the best reason to use a marketing service is to comply with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. This was an act of congress attempting to cut down on the onslaught of spam emails. The act established compliance standards for authentic bulk email practices instead of SPAM emails. By using a service, there is the assurance of complying with these standards. All of the services operate in strict compliance since their business relies on them. 

Another side to this issue is working with standards established by email and internet service providers to avoid spam filters. Working with marketing services will give confidence that your emails will make their way to your recipients' inboxes. Besides knowing how to navigate the filters set up by these providers, the providers also recognize reputable marketing services. They are less likely to mark emails coming through as spam.

Other advantages -

- Templates - Each service has pre-designed templates and drag-and-drop design tools to edit the templates. This provides a simple but quality email design that complies with CAN-SPAM and Email & Internet Service Provider standards. The designs are also aimed at higher open rates. Just as important is that these templates will work with all email clients and software. You can be assured it will work in Outlook, Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, or any other client.

- List Management - Another great reason to use a marketing service is that you don't have to give thought to managing your email list, regardless of its size. Connect your website opt-in forms to the service, and each new address is added automatically. And if a person chooses to be removed from the list, it goes through the service, and you receive a notice.

- Analytics - A third important reason to use a marketing service is analytics. All the essential information you need is available. Who opened that last email? Who clicked on the links, and which links did they choose? While you can pay little attention to list management, leaving it all up to the service, you will want to pay close attention to analytics. Using this information you will know better what works and what doesn't.

Use of A Hybrid Marketing Approach:

By hybrid marketing approach, I'm referring primarily to a combination between a marketing service and an SMPT relay service. First I need to explain what an SMPT relay is.

SMTP stands for "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol."Email servers use these protocols to transfer e-mail messages and attachments over the internet. Whether using your private email server or a public one such as Gmail, SMTP is a secure connection between that server and the internet. While you can set up your server, you will not be able to send emails securely without SMTP. 

It is possible to send email from a private server using the SMTP settings of a personal email account you may have with Gmail or another email provider, but there will be restrictions. Only a certain number of emails can be sent per hour or per day. If you try to send more emails than the number permitted, your account will be blocked.

Using your email server to send a secure email to thousands of recipients is impossible. And if you attempt to send an unsecured email, bypassing SMTP, recipients will block it, and your domain will likely be blacklisted. This is where SMTP relays come in. You can use your email server to send to thousands of recipients by using the SMTP settings of the relay. And the cost will be less than that of the marketing services. But neither are you getting all the features of the marketing service.

  Using a relay is not for everyone. For many, the technical requirements of setting up a personal email server by coding your server would be too great. And even if you use a software package ready to go out of the box, too much time and effort are required. Additionally, unless you have an email list of more than 2,000, it just doesn't make sense. The free marketing services will adequately meet your needs.

So why might you want to use an SMPT relay service?

There are savings with an SMPT relay service, but you will not have campaign management tools essential to carry out a marketing campaign. But these campaign tools are not as necessary with your highly engaged recipients as with those less engaged. More engaged recipients could be routed through an SMTP relay, while those needing more encouragement could be assigned to the campaign management service.

Using this approach, you are saving with those who are more engaged and paying for the more expensive management tools to reach the less involved. Again, this makes the most sense when you have large numbers in your email list. For example, using a relay service such as Sendgrid, for $19.95, you can send up to 50,000 emails per month. This could be one mailing to 50,000 recipients, five mailings to 10,000 recipients, or another combination that equals 50,000 for the month.

By comparison, MailChimp charges are based on the number of contacts in your mailing list. With 10,000 contacts, the lowest cost plan would charge $87 per month and allow ten mailings. While this provides 100,000 emails per month, the cost is the same even if you send only one mailing. So a list of 10,000 contacts costs $87 per month with MailChimp and $19.95 per month with Sendgrid.

A Comparison of 5 Email Marketing Services

About Free Plans

All five email marketing services listed in this blog have a free plan with additional plans available to accommodate more extensive, more extensive lists and more advanced features. This is an excellent approach for small home businesses allowing them to start free in the early days when their mailing lists are small and progress to paid plans as they grow.  When your business has grown to need a paid plan, you know whether that service is a good fit for your business.

As you read through each service below, be on the lookout for those that offer full features in their free plans. Thus, the main difference between free and paid will be the number of emails you send.

MailChimp

MailChimp is an easy-to-use email marketing service that allows you to easily manage your contacts, build campaigns, and automate your business processes. It also offers a variety of features that make it easier than ever to design and deliver high-quality emails.  Business News Daily has chosen MailChimp as the best email marketing software for beginners. 

Mailchimp's free plan includes:

- Up to 500 contacts, with 10,000 sends per month

- A daily limit of 2,000.

- 1-step automation - This feature allows you to place sign-up forms on your website that are automatically stored in your Mailchimp account and tagged as you indicate.

- Marketing CRM - Customer relationship management (CRM) helps to create stronger connections with your customers. An audience dashboard enables you to learn the individual preferences of those in your list, making it possible to address specific preferences in subsequent mailings.

- Landing Pages - The free account includes free website and landing page hosting. In addition, free landing page templates are provided, allowing a tight integration for CRM.

- Social posting - Enables posting on your social accounts.

- Facebook & Instagram ads - An ad tool for Facebook & Instagram to help design and optimize ads.

- Postcards - Allows sending physical postcards

With a list of 500 contacts, you could send 20 emails per month to your list. You are also limited to one audience, meaning one contact list. This will place some limitations on personalizing your emails. But since you can add tags to those in your list, you still have some segmentation options.

Design Tools include:

- Creative Assistant

- Content Studio

- Basic email templates

MailChimp Integrations:

- WordPress

- QuickBooks

- Shopify

- Stripe

- Zendesk Activity

- LinkedIn

- Facebook

- Formstack

- SurveyMonkey

- Many more

Benchmark

Business News Daily designated Benchmark as the best email marketing software for "Ease of Use." It, too, has a free plan that:

Benchmark's free plan includes:

- Up to 500 contacts

- 3,500 emails per month

- Basic Email Marketing

- Lite Marketing Automation

- Simple Lead Generation

- Basic Reporting

Email Marketing:

- Drag & Drop Email Builder

- Responsive Email Templates

- Smart Content

- RSS Email Campaigns

- List Management

- Basic Segmentation

- Responsive Templates

- Signup Forms

- Basic Drip Campaigns

Additional Features:

- Email Delivery Management

- Basic Drip Campaigns

- Sign-Up Forms

- Polls & Surveys

- Live Engagement Reports

- Opens by Hour Reports

Given the limited number of contacts and monthly emails, Benchmark's free plan is definitely for the small business just getting started. Should these limitations be too restrictive, the first step into a paid plan costs $13 per month for 500 contacts, but an unlimited number of emails sent p

If the size of your contact list and the number of emails allowed each month is your primary concern, MailChimp will be the obvious choice compared to Benchmark. If not, your concerns will lie more with the marketing, design, or other features offered. I have listed most of those features here for both services, but you will want to go to the sites to get more into the details.

Another feature you may be interested in is the integrations with services outside Benchmark. Here are just a few of the Benchmark integrations, but there are many more:

- WordPress

- Google

- Facebook

- Flickr

- Zapier

- PayPal

- Shopify

- ZOHO

- many more



AWeber

AWeber's free plan is similar to MailChimp and Benchmark. It allows up to 500 contacts and 3,000 emails per month. AWeber has only two plans, Free and Pro. The Pro plan gives all features the service has to offer and starts at $16.15 per month with a limit of 500 contacts or subscribers. Once you subscribe to the Pro plan, you are on a sliding scale based on the number of subscribers. Everything else remains the same. This includes an unlimited number of emails each month. When the number of subscribers exceeds 500, you begin paying $26.15 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers.

With the focus of this blog on free plans, I will list only those features that come with the free plan:

Usage:

- Subscriber limit - 500

- Email sends - 3,000/mo

- List profiles - 1

Email:

- Create and send newsletters

- Email automation

- RSS to email

- Drag-and-drop email builder

- 100s of email templates

- HTML emails

- Dynamic content

- AMP emails

- Hosted broadcast archive

- Thousands of professional images

Landing Pages:

- Sell Products and Services with AWeber Ecommerce

- Unlimited landing pages

- Beautiful landing page templates for a variety of goals

- Thousands of professional images

- Video landing pages

- Buy and connect domains

- Google Analytics

List Building:

- Sign up forms

- WordPress plugin

Segmentation:

- Tagging subscribers

- Send to basic segments

Reporting:

- Simple subscriber and message analytics

AWeber Ecommerce:

- Sell products and services

- Subscriptions and payment plans

- Sales tracking

- Purchase tagging

Integrations:

- Facebook

- PayPal

- WordPress

- Shopify

- WooCommerce

- Hundreds more integrations

iContact

Again, I will start with the number of contacts and emails with the free plan. iContact looks very similar to the previous services:

- Up to 500 Contacts

- Up to 2,000 Sends per month

iContact has only one other plan beyond the free plan,, the Advanced one. As with aWeber services, once you are in this Advanced plan, you receive every feature the service offers and pay based on the number of contacts in your list. So when your list exceeds 500, you move into the advanced plan, starting with a limit of 1,500 contacts and unlimited emails. At this level, the plan costs $23 per month.

Features included in the free plan include:

Email Marketing:

- Drag & Drop Editor

- HTML Editor

- Template Library

- Stock Image Library

- In-line Photo Editing

- A/B Split Testing

Automation:

- Automation Editor

- Targeted Automation Follow Ups

Landing pages:

- Landing Page Creation & Hosting - 1 Page

Real-time Campaign Reporting:

- Email Reporting

- Automation Reporting

- Landing Page Reporting

Contact Management:

- Sign-up Forms

- List Segmentation - 1 Segment

Integrations:

- Custom API

- Integrations Directory

HubSpot

HubSpot is difficult to compare to the other email marketing services listed here. Business News Daily tagged HubSpot as the best "Bundled Marketing Solution." This is an apt description - a bundled marketing solution. But this refers to only one Hub of HubSpot. The Marketing Hub. There is also a Sales Hub, a Service Hub, a CMS Hub, and an Operations Hub. But we will concentrate only on the Marketing Hub.

Registering for a HubSpot free account gives you lifetime access to a whole array of free features. These features are promoted as "scalable for scaling companies."

https://digitalchowder.com/5-free-email-marketing-tools-to-help-you-grow-your-business/

Solving the Physical Address Dilemma for the Home Business

The Physical Address Dilemma for the Home Business

Operating your business out of your home, as great as it may be, does have several challenges to overcome. One of these challenges has to do with your physical location. What should you do about the physical location of your business? Should you --

- have a non-existent physical location,

- list your home address,

- or find a different solution?

In this blog, we will consider virtual solutions to address the problem of a physical location. In my next blog, I will weigh in on solutions for inventory storage.
We will break the information into two sections:

- Virtual mail

- Virtual Office

Before starting, you should consider two questions:

- What is wrong with not having a physical address? This may not be a problem if your business operates online and all your products are digital. But if you have non-digital products, it may be necessary to list a physical address. This will help to provide legitimacy for your business.

- Why should I not use my home address as the physical business address? There are several downsides to using your home address as your physical address:



- Security and privacy of your home

- Lease or homeowners association rules

- Zoning regulations

- Liability concerns

We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

Virtual Mail

Before getting to the virtual solutions, you may want to consider some simple, longstanding physical alternatives. These are standard mailbox services:

- USPS -  Renting PO Boxes from the US Postal service has existed for decades. A PO Box is not new or virtual, but it is still an alternative.

- UPS  - Securing a mailbox from UPS is also an alternative that has been with us for years.

- FedEx - Yet another mailbox rental option.

- Local Options - Search your local area, and you will find several more options.

These options may serve you well if you want an excuse for a break from your home office. But, convenience will not be their strong suit. They do require you to retrieve your mail.

The following table gives you a quick reference to the benefits offered by five virtual mail services. You will note that they all provide a physical address with the mail service. To enlarge the table, use CTRL & + keys together. To return to the default size, use CTRL + 0 keys. You can also use this link to download a PDF of both tables below - (Download PDF of following tables)

Using the table reference, you should be able to select the features you want quickly. From there, you can go to their websites to look more closely at their information. Each service will have differing details about charges you will incur should you go over the allotted amounts. Links for each product is below the table.

- Anytime Mailbox

- Traveling Mailbox

- PostScan Mail

- iPostal1

- Digital Mailroom

Virtual Office

The virtual office is an expansion of the mail service. It amounts to a suite of virtual services, including mail, phone, and fax. Unlike virtual mailboxes, virtual office packages cannot be listed in a table showing how they compare. Since each virtual office package is unique, I have listed each individually.

- Start Hub Centers

- iPostal1

- Alliance Virtual Offices

We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

https://digitalchowder.com/solving-the-physical-address-dilemma-for-the-home-based-business/

Transform Your Writing With Jasper, The AI Writing Assistant

Using Jasper AI To Transform Your Writing

Content creation is vital in promoting businesses and individuals in today's digital age. Writing engaging and creative content can be a challenging task. Still, with the help of artificial intelligence, this chore has been made more accessible than ever before. One such AI-powered tool that has been making waves in the writing world is Jasper, the AI writing assistant.

If you are tired of struggling with writer's block or spending hours editing your work, you will find Jasper, the AI writing assistant, a big help. Jasper can help you streamline your writing process and improve the quality of your work. With Jasper's advanced technology and user-friendly interface, you can take your writing to the next level.

What is Jasper, and how does it work?

Jasper is an AI-powered writing assistant that helps users create engaging and creative content. Designed to make content creation more manageable, it utilizes natural language processing (NLP) models and machine learning algorithms.

Jasper works by analyzing and interpreting user input requests. It utilizes various data sources to understand the context of the user's request and generate a creative and engaging response. It understands the user's intent, and through its NLP models, Jasper can generate content for a specific tone or style.

Jasper's algorithms learn over time through machine learning, developing more intelligent responses as it accumulates more data. Its technology constantly evolves, meaning its capabilities will only continue to expand. This changing nature of technology makes Jasper AI a valuable tool for content creators, writers, and businesses.

Using Jasper is simple. The user can input their request using natural language, and Jasper will generate a response in a matter of seconds. Users can then edit or modify the content to fit their requirements.

Jasper can help users create content for various purposes, such as social media, blog posts, email marketing campaigns, product descriptions, etc. Using Jasper can produce high-quality content faster, improve their writing skills, and boost their online presence.

How can Jasper improve your writing process?

Jasper is an AI writing assistant that can help improve your writing process in several ways. Here are a few examples:

- Increased productivity: With Jasper's help, you can generate ideas, outlines, and even complete drafts more quickly than working alone. So you can create more content in less time, freeing you to focus on other aspects of your job or business.

- Enhanced creativity: Sometimes, getting your creative juices flowing takes a little inspiration. Jasper can provide that inspiration by suggesting topics, throwing out new ideas, or even playing around with different writing prompts.

- Improved quality: Jasper's AI models help you write more effectively by catching errors, improving sentence structure, and suggesting alternative words or phrases. So you can produce higher-quality content that will resonate with your readers.

- More efficient editing: Jasper can also help you with editing, making catching and correcting mistakes easier. Whether you're working on a blog post or a social media update, Jasper can help ensure everything is accurate, polished, and ready to share.

Overall, Jasper is a valuable tool that can save time, boost creativity, and help you produce higher-quality content. Whether you're a writer, marketer, or business owner, Jasper can help take your writing process to the next level.

Features and benefits of using Jasper.

Here are some of the key features and benefits of using Jasper:

- Creative Writing:
Jasper can help you write creatively. Whether it's social media posts or blog articles, Jasper can assist you in generating attention-grabbing headlines, memorable captions, and compelling content.

- Speed:
Jasper is fast. Say goodbye to writer's block and endless hours crafting the perfect sentence. With Jasper, you can quickly generate high-quality content and move on to your next task.

- Flexibility:
Jasper is flexible. Whether you need help with a blog post, a social media post, or even a short story, Jasper can assist you with all types of writing.

- Easy to Use:
Jasper is simple to use. With just a few clicks, you can start creating engaging content. You don't need to have any writing expertise to use Jasper.

Benefits:

- Improved Productivity:
With Jasper's help, you can double or even triple your productivity. By reducing the time it takes to create content, you will have more time to focus on other tasks.

- Improved Engagement:
Jasper can help you make your content more engaging. Using Jasper's creative writing abilities, you can capture your audience's attention and keep them interested.

- Increased Traffic:
Jasper can also help you generate more traffic to your website or social media platforms. Creating captivating content can attract more visitors and increase your following.

- Cost Effective:
Jasper is cost-effective compared to hiring a full-time writer. Jasper's fees are considerably lower than that of an experienced content writer, making it an affordable solution for small businesses and startups.

How to integrate Jasper into your writing workflow.

Integrating Jasper into your writing workflow can be a game-changer for content creation. Jasper saves time and effort, and it also lends a helping hand in coming up with creative and engaging content. Here are some steps to integrate Jasper into your writing workflow:

- Set up Jasper: To get started, you must set up your device's Jasper interface. You can access Jasper through an online platform to communicate seamlessly with the AI writing assistant.

- Define the scope of work: Clearly define the writing task or content requirements you want Jasper to help you with. Jasper can help you with various content needs, such as social media posts, blog articles, short stories, etc.

- Provide Jasper with the necessary inputs: To ensure that Jasper provides accurate and relevant content, you must give it the required inputs, such as keywords, topic, tone of voice, target audience, and other relevant information.

- Review the content provided by Jasper: Once you have provided Jasper with the necessary inputs, it will provide you with the output based on its AI models. Review the content provided by Jasper and make any necessary edits or suggestions.

- Use the content provided by Jasper: After reviewing and making any necessary edits to the content provided by Jasper, you can use the content productively. Jasper can help speed up your writing workflow and make producing quality content easier in less time.

Integrating Jasper into your writing workflow can greatly benefit content creators. From saving time and effort to producing quality content seamlessly, Jasper is a fantastic AI writing assistant.

Success stories and testimonials from Jasper users.

Many writers have already experienced the benefits of using Jasper in their writing process. From saving time to improving the quality of their writing, Jasper has helped writers of all levels achieve their goals. Here are just a few success stories and testimonials from Jasper users:

- "Jasper has completely transformed the way I write. Its AI-powered suggestions have helped me improve my writing style and catch errors I would have otherwise missed." - Sarah, freelance writer.

- "As a non-native English speaker, Jasper has been a game-changer for me. Its grammar and spelling suggestions have helped me write more confidently and effectively." - Juan, content marketer.

- "Jasper has saved me so much time in the editing process. Its automated suggestions have helped me quickly identify and fix errors, allowing me to focus on the creative aspects of writing." - Emily, novelist.

What is the cost of using Jasper?

Jasper AI has three subscription plans, Starter, Boss Mode, and Business. The Business plan is a custom plan with a custom price. As for the Starter and Boss Mode plans, each has a 5-day free trial along with a monthly or yearly payment plan.

Starter Plan:

Cost - $49 per month on the monthly plan and $40 yearly.

Features Include:

- Jasper Chat - Interact with AI in a natural dialog with an easy-to-use interface to generate content quickly.

- 50+ AI templates - AI that helps you write short-form content like product descriptions, paragraphs, ads, and so much more.

- Browser extension - Add Jasper to your Google Chrome browser to write better everywhere.

- Support for 30+ languages - Need to write content in another language? Jasper can read inputs in your language and write quality content in 30+ languages.

- Email support - Contact a human in less than 10 minutes during business hours M-F 9am - 5pm CST.

- Words Per Month - 20,000 Words

- Up to 5 users

Boss Mode Plan:

Cost - $99 monthly on the monthly plan and $82 yearly.

Features Include all features of the Starter Plan plus these:

- Up to 5 users

- Automated workflows

- Google Docs style editor

- Compose & command features

- Live chat support -

- User Logins - 50,000 Words

- Up to 5 users

- Jasper Art

- Documents

- Commands

- Jasper Chat

- Recipes

- 30+ Languages

Video Demonstration

View the video below to demonstrate some of the Jasper AI features.

Conclusion

Try Jasper today and join the growing community of writers who have improved their writing process with the help of AI technology. Click on the graphic below and get more information and a free trial.

https://digitalchowder.com/transform-your-writing-with-jasper/

5 Recommended Cloud Storage Services for Small Businesses (SOHO)

Cloud Storage Services for Small Businesses

You can't afford to ignore data storage and backup as a small office or home-based company (SOHO). Small businesses require the security of data storage and backup services in the cloud. This blog will examine why a backup is essential and 5 recommended cloud storage services.

Why A Backup Plan?

One of the essential digital resources in a home-based company office is backup or synchronization services for office documents. However, it's similar to having flood insurance. We don't seriously consider it until the water rises inside the house.

Starting a home business is intimidating, and most people find themselves going from one time-consuming activity to the next with little time to consider some crucial but non-urgent tasks. Providing cloud storage for our computer files frequently falls into this category.

If my description matches your situation, I'm guessing you've never experienced a computer failure or a loss of your computer to fire, water damage or any other calamity. Otherwise, the devastation of losing essential data, much of which might be irreplaceable, would convert you into a believer. You'd already have some backup or cloud storage in place. 

The Convenience of A Backup Provision

It's more than simply a good idea to have a backup strategy. It's also convenient. Whether you suffer from a computer system collapse or lose your data, you'll need to purchase new hardware or upgrade your computers sooner or later. Restore your data to the new computer with an easy-to-restore solution is a life-saver.

I've had everything from a computer crash to a hard drive replacement and purchasing a second computer. In each instance, I could move all of my data in one easy step to the new machine or hard drive.

What Is Cloud Storage and Why Have It?

Cloud storage is a form of data storage in which data is kept on remote servers over the internet. Due to their superior attributes when compared to traditional on-site data storage solutions, cloud storage services are becoming increasingly popular.

One of the most significant benefits of cloud storage is that it allows users to store and access files from nearly any place on earth. You only need an internet connection and can quickly and simply access your data. Cloud backup also eliminates the need for hard drives for backup, which are less dependable and susceptible to physical catastrophes such as fires or floods.

The third significant advantage of cloud storage is that it is far more scalable than on-site data storage. You may quickly increase or decrease the storage space you use with cloud storage. This is ideal for companies with seasonal increases and decreases in data storage requirements.

As seen in the list of advantages to cloud storage, I recommend using cloud rather than onsite storage.

Backup VS Syncing?

When you look at cloud storage, you will find services that only back up your files and others that synchronize the contents of your computer with those in the cloud. So, what is the distinction?

- Backup - With your documents backed up, a distinct operation is required to upload them to the cloud storage and then restore them to your computer. The backup procedure may be set up to run automatically or manually started. But restoration will require manual activation.

- Syncing - If you choose to sync your files in the cloud, backup happens as you work within the file. The cloud storage replicates your hard drive files selected for syncing. As you make changes within the files on your computer, those changes are automatically made within the files stored in the cloud. You don't even have to think about backup. It takes place as you work. The only caution you must consider with file syncing is if you are also syncing those duplicate files on a second computer. For instance, after working with a file on your desktop, you can later pull up that same file on your laptop, which will be up-to-date with the one on your desktop. But here is where the caution arises. When you start working on your laptop, you need to allow time for it to sync with your cloud storage before starting to work on your synced files. This syncing process happens automatically once your computer connects to the WiFi. But you must give it a minute or two for the update to occur.

(We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.)

My Recommendations:

So, my first advice was for cloud storage instead of local storage. My second recommendation is for file syncing instead of file backup. As you can see from the description of synchronizing, it is a simple and automatic operation. This isn't to suggest that there won't be times when backing up rather than synchronizing is required. But these will be rare occasions.

Explanation of Recommendations --

- All of the five suggestions below allow for synchronization. To be clear, syncing your data is equivalent to backing it up. In other words, multiple copies in the cloud may be reloaded onto your computer if you suffer a data loss or need to transfer all your information onto a new hard drive.

- I'm not suggesting that these five are the best cloud storage services. That being said, they're all trustworthy and dependable services. You could discover features with services not included in the list that aren't available with those listed here. But for most home business offices, these five should suffice. 

Why these five?

- The first three (Google Drive, Onedrive, and Dropbox) should work well with your existing system.



- As far as Google Drive is concerned, you probably already have a Google account. If this is the case, whether or not you're currently using Google Drive, you already have access to it.

- Onedrive is already included with Windows for PC users. If this is the case, whether you are using it or not, you already have the service.

- Many individuals may already be using Dropbox in a limited way. If so, all you have to do now is expand your usage and sync all or most of your office documents.

- If you want features unavailable through Google Drive, Onedrive, or Dropbox, IDrive or PCloud are good alternatives. We will get into their differences below.

Recommendations:

1. Google Drive

If you already have a Google account, Google Drive is a natural choice for cloud storage and data syncing. Suppose your Google account is your account, and you are the only employee in your home business. In that case, a personal account will be a sufficient alternative for a cloud storage service. 15 GB comes with a free account, but you can increase the storage limit at reasonable rates. Here is the rate schedule:

- 2 TB will cost $99.99 per year or under $1 monthly.

- 5 TB is $24.99 per month or $249.99 per year, a 17% savings.

- 10 TB costs $49.99 per month.

- 20 TB comes at $99.99 per month.

A Google Drive app is available for Windows and Mac users. When you install the app on your computer, a G Drive stores your synced files. Move all files you want syncing in the cloud to the G Drive. All files in the G Drive will be uploaded to the Google Drive cloud storage and automatically synced as you make changes to these files.

Should you experience a crash or loss of your computer, install the Google Drive app on a new computer, and all the files in the cloud will be downloaded to the G Drive on your computer.

File & Folder Sharing - Do you need to share documents with someone else? You have two options:

- Create a shared folder - Create a folder and then share it with others. Give them editing privileges or just viewing privileges. Then move all documents to the folder you wish to share. Those with whom you are sharing will have access to all documents in the shared folder.

- Create a shared document - Select any document in your Google Drive and share it with others. Again, choose to give editing privilege or just viewing privilege.  Then share the link with those you want to have access.

Office Apps

Google offers three office apps with Google Drive; Unlike Microsoft office apps, Google apps do not run independently on your computer. You must work within documents in the cloud or install a browser extension. If you wish to use one of these apps offline, you must set a document for offline editing while logging into your Google account. Once you are offline, you will use the browser extension for editing.

- Google Docs - This is the Google word processor.

- Google Sheets - Google's spreadsheet app.

- Google Slides - Google's answer to PowerPoint.

Google One

When you upgrade your Google Drive storage from a free account to a paid version, you become a member of Google One. Additional benefits come with this membership.

- Pro Session - Schedule a personal online session with a Google expert to learn about improving your account security.

- Extra Google Photos editing - Access to Google Photos editing features for Android and iOS.

- VPN protection on your device - With a VPN on your device, you can:



- Browse, stream, and download content with a secure and private connection

- Shield against hackers on unsecured networks (like public Wi-Fi)

- Reduce online tracking by hiding your IP address

- Google Play & Google Store Points

Google Personal VS Google Workspace

To this point, we have been discussing a personal Google account. But if you are a home business person, you may consider Google Workspace, the business account.

So why should you use Workspace?  

Here are a couple of reasons you may want to consider Workspace:

- Branding - If you are the only employee of your home business, there is no reason you could not simply use your personal Google account. If you need additional cloud storage, upgrade your subscription. But your account will not project a very professional image. This is particularly true if you are using Gmail as your email service. In this case, your email address will be like this -  businessperson@gmail.com. Using an email account with this address is more professional - businessperson@mybusiness.com. With Workspace, Google will interact with your domain name to use it with your email address.

- Sharing - A Workspace account allows users to be added to the account and assigns all the same features and tools to each user. This provides a unified calendar; all email addresses use the business domain name. Further, the workspace owner has access to all cloud storage drives of other users, maintaining the ownership of all documents.

Cost - The cost of Workspace is $6 per user per month. This comes with 30 GB per user.

NOTE: Consider the discussion about Google Drive file syncing and sharing common to the other cloud storage services. Though these features may not be mentioned with the other services, assume they are true for each unless otherwise noted.

2. Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft Onedrive is most attractive to those already using Microsoft Office apps, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The use of these apps comes with a subscription to Microsoft 365. A personal account costs $6.99 monthly and comes with 1 TB of storage. However, you can sign up for Onedrive storage without the apps at $1.99 per month for 100 GB. Then there is the Microsoft 365 Family Plan which is a real bargain. For $9.99 per month, you can have up to 6 users with 6 TB of storage.

Onedrive VS Google Drive

The two will run neck-and-neck if comparing only the file-syncing capabilities of Onedrive and Google Drive. The critical difference between them is the office apps they are designed to work with. For Onedrive, it is Microsoft Office Suite; for Google Drive, it is Google Suite.  And a significant difference between these two suites is their operating environment. For Google apps, the working environment is the browser. For Microsoft apps, the environment is your computer desktop.

Hybrid user

Based on these two comparisons, I might be considered a hybrid user. For my cloud storage service, I have chosen Google Drive. My choice was based on convenience. I already had a Google Account and slowly began using Google Drive incrementally. When Google developed the Google Drive app that installs on my computer and automatically syncs my computer files with files in the cloud, I jumped all in.

But I seldom use Google's suite of apps or office apps from my browser. Even though I work primarily on my computer desktop, neither am I a Microsoft Office apps user. I use the Corel Office Suite and, as I say, work directly on my desktop. But as I do, my files are automatically synced with those stored on Google Drive. I would probably use OneDrive instead of Google if I used Microsoft Office apps. The deciding factor between the two seems to hinge much on productivity apps.

All that has been said here goes equally for Mac users and Windows users.

3. Dropbox

We have demonstrated so far through Google Drive and OneDrive that one's work style and need play a significant role in choosing a cloud storage service. The distinguishing feature between Google Drive and OneDrive is the productivity apps used. Dropbox brings yet another perspective. A significant focus for Dropbox is team collaboration. Team collaboration is indeed a feature in OneDrive and Google Drive, but with limited work tools. Dropbox has a large toolbox full of apps with which it integrates for team collaboration.

Dropbox Paper: 

https://youtu.be/fmsq1uKOa08

Paper is Dropbox's signature feature which is a collaborative document-editing service. A free Dropbox service helps teams create and share early ideas. Within Paper, you can work with almost anything, from video and images to code and sound. Paper is the place teams use to coordinate their work and keep projects moving. Building on Paper, teams can integrate their work using an arsenal of apps such as Trello, Slack, Dropbox for G Suite, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, and many more.

So integration is a prominent feature with Dropbox. It is through the integration of many apps and services that team collaboration takes place. Through these partner integrations, Dropbox claims to . . .

- Bring Magic to your creative workflows.

- Provide High impact marketing and a speedier sales process

- Keep your teams connected and keep projects moving

- Bring it all together with the DBX Platform

Cloud Storage:

DBX Platform is the Dropbox platform. Through its platform, Dropbox reverses the focus. Rather than bringing your apps to their platform, Dropbox focuses on bringing their platform to your apps. So, as they say, "DBX Platform lets you add Dropbox features to your apps, such as file storage, sharing, previews, and search."

Pricing

(Click on images to enlarge)

4. iDrive

As noted above, all the services listed have similar file syncing and sharing features. But IDrive approaches it differently. This is because there is no focus on the apps that will be working with their service. IDrive concentrates on backup and syncing. The features offered by IDrive reflect this concentration:

Multiple Device Backup:

Back up unlimited PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices into a single account. In addition, data from external hard drives can also be backed up.

Online File Sync:

Files and folders will be synced in real-time across all devices you link using IDrive. Sync storage does not impact your backup storage and matches your backup storage limit.

IDrive Express:

Quick backup and data retrieval via physical storage shipment in less than a week, ensuring no bandwidth usage.

Snapshots and Versioning:

Snapshots provide a historical view of data for point-in-time recovery and help protect against ransomware; IDrive retains up to 30 previous versions of all files backed up to your account.

Manage Computers: 

The web-based console helps manage data backups, restores application settings, and more on remote computers.

Clone/Computer Backup: 

Perform sector- or file-level backup to secure your entire computer and restore the same to its initial state in the event of a disaster.  NOTE: This goes beyond data backup to whole-computer backup - including the operating system. Should you experience a catastrophic disaster rendering your computer inoperable, this backup can restore the computer to its initial state of operation.

Security and Privacy:

Transfer and store files with 256-bit AES encryption using a user-defined key not stored anywhere on the servers.

https://digitalchowder.com/5-recommended-cloud-storage-services-for-the-small-business-soho-in-2022/

How to Use Snagit for Screen Capture & Recording

Snagit Capture and Screen Recording Features

In this article, I will highlight Snagit Capture and Screen Recording features.

Snagit is a powerful screen capture and recording software that helps users quickly and easily capture their screen or record videos of screen activity. With its extensive suite of features, Snagit makes it easy to take screenshots, annotate images, draw professional-looking graphics, and record videos with audio.

With this article, I will only cover some of the features of Snagit. There are too many to attempt them all. I have been using Snagit for over 20 years, and in that time, I haven't used them all myself. Occasionally I will come across a new feature and wish I had already been using it.

My primary purpose in this article is to demonstrate Snagit's capabilities for those uninitiated about Snagit. Therefore, I will not demonstrate advanced features or provide a "how-to" of specific features.

Taking Screen Captures with Snagit.

Left Column

This image shows the main window of Snagit. This window is our starting point. We will work our way through the features from left to right. Starting with the left column, we will talk about the type of capture we will take.

Type of Capture

There are three choices:

- All-In-One - If you select all-in-one, you will wait until later to choose whether to capture an image or do a video capture. After activating the capture process and selecting the area, you can choose whether to do an image or video capture.

- Image - Choosing an image capture from this window will limit our capture to a single image. The image capture also provides several options as to the area to select for the capture.

- Video - Again, choosing a video from this window will limit the capture to video capture. It will also show other options to be selected, such as using the webcam to include our image in the capture and recording audio with the video.

Center Column

Moving from the far left column in the main window to the center column, we have three choices if we take an image capture.

Capture Selection

The first choice is the area we will select. Notice the drop-down menu in the image. Only a few of the options are visible in the menu, but they include the following:

- Region - Choosing a region allows us to drag the mouse over the area we want to select.

- Window - This refers to an active window open on our desktop. It may be a word processor or another available app.

- Full Screen - Everything on the desktop will be included in a full-screen capture.

- Scrolling Window - This capture option will cause the active window to automatically scroll to the bottom of the page, capturing the whole rather than just the initially visible portion.

- Panoramic - A panoramic capture is similar to a scrolling window. In contrast, you will select a portion of the page width and then scroll as far down the page as you wish using the mouse. This process will capture everything within the width of your selection and to the bottom of your scroll.

- Grab Text - With grab text, a section of text on the screen is selected and then converted to editable text.

Choice of Effects

You will see the effects drop-down menu in the image to the right. Only a portion of the possible effects is visible. Effects include a border, shadow, edge, etc. SnagIt includes the selected effect in the final capture.

Share Capture

Again, a drop-down menu will list numerous choices to share the capture. These include:

- Screencast - A cloud storage service of SnagIt.

- Word

- PowerPoint

- Google Drive

- Dropbox

- Evernote

- Many more 

To summarize, you can choose an image or video capture, the area of the screen to capture or the entire screen, an effect to add to the image if desired, and an option to share the capture.

What To Do With The Capture

We are now ready to address the right column. Once you have made a screen capture, what will you do with it? Your choices include:

- Preview in the Editor - This choice will automatically send the capture to the SnagIt Editor, where you can remove unwanted portions of the capture or make additions and enhancements.

- Copy to Clipboard - Using this choice; you can paste the capture wherever you choose.

Activating A Capture

Now it is time to start a capture. We have three options.

- The hotkey - Notice the image highlighting the hotkey setup. The hotkey can be whatever combination of keys you want unless that combination is already in use. Below the capture button, you will see your current hotkey. Mine is the print-screen keyboard key. If you press the capture button, you can change it to the combination of keys you want to use.

- Press the big red button that says "capture."

- From SnagIt Editor

Video Demonstration

Please watch the video below for a demonstration of the SnagIt features we have discussed. As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Words would never explain using the SnagIt Editor or a screen recording video. But the video will provide a demonstration.

Conclusion

So as you can see, Snagit is a powerful and versatile tool for capturing, recording, and editing screenshots. It's easy to use with a range of features that make it perfect for professionals who need high-quality images or videos and casual users who want something quick and straightforward. With its hotkeys, capture widget, Snagit Editor presets, and more - you can easily create beautiful graphics in no time!

This demonstration may have made you interested in checking it out further. If so, use this button for a free SnagIt download. You will receive a 15-day free trial. Using SnagIt is the best way to decide if it is a good fit for you.

Free SnagIt Download


https://digitalchowder.com/how-to-use-snagit-for-screen-capture-recording/

Elementor vs. NicePage: Which Is Better for WordPress Websites?

Which Is Better for WordPress Websites - Elementor or NicePage?

WordPress has two excellent drag-and-drop page builder plugins for WordPress in Elementor and Nicepage. Both have several fantastic features. Both are great picks for creating WordPress sites. So, which one should you use?

As a user of both WordPress builders, I must inform you that I have already decided. That said, I'll go through both objectively and share some reasons why I chose Nicepage. To level the playing field, I will also disclose that I am an affiliate for both Elementor and Nicepage.

So, with disclosures out of the way, we will start by looking at some objective features of both Elementor and Nicepage.

Page Builder VS Theme Designer:

One of the benefits I liked about Nicepage is that it's not only a page builder but also a theme creator. However, on the Elementor website, you'll discover a theme builder feature. So are they able to create WordPress themes as well? The answer is yes, albeit in two very different manners.

Installing a desktop program on either a Windows or Mac computer or an online builder is where Nicepage begins. These are independent applications that aren't connected to your WordPress site. You start by creating your theme using a variety of templates and styles in these apps. Templates are full-page layouts on which you may build your theme's design. The designs inspire the page's block arrangement. Once you have designed a theme, you export it from the program and install it in WordPress, just like any other theme. A plugin is included in the archive file that must also be downloaded and installed in WordPress.

Elementor does everything from within WordPress. Once the plug-in is installed in WordPress, you can build a theme. If you are using a free version, you will need to install the "Hello" theme and use the theme builder tool from within the page builder to modify theme elements, such as the header and footer. A template feature is installed for building a theme if you are using a pro version of Elementor.

Elementor gives this description regarding its theme builder:
"'Builder' might be a confusing word in this case, but historically, it has become a standard part of the design vocabulary. Just as page builders are page designers that work in conjunction with your theme, the Elementor Theme Builder is a tool for building a new design framework that changes the look of those areas of your theme that have traditionally been off-limits to page builders."

Website Designs:

Another advantage of Nicepage is that it is more than a WordPress theme designer and page builder. The themes created with its desktop or online applications may not only be exported as WordPress themes but also as Joomla templates. Furthermore, they can be exported as an HTML5 website.

Comparison of Features:

Now let's focus on page building and compare features between Nicepage and Elementor.

Responsive & Mobile Designs

Elementor and Nicepage are both responsive and mobile-friendly. In other words, their designs adapt to any screen size - including mobile displays - and respond quickly. Both provide Desktop, Laptop, Tablet views, and Mobile screens in portrait and landscape mode. Once you've created a desktop version of a page, you may switch to any other screen sizes to see how it appears and make any needed changes. The majority of the time, all that is required is a few modifications to this view, such as repositioning page headers on the page or centering images. Elementor and Nicepage are equally capable in this area.

Drag & Drop Editor

Both offer drag-and-drop design capabilities, which is another common feature between them. Find the feature you want from a list in the left column of your design page and drop it on the page layout in either program. You may then freely position and resize the element as desired. In addition, you may easily customize the colors, backgrounds, and other properties to your liking.

(We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.)

Video Demonstration

Here are two short videos demonstrating their features to give a feel for the differences between the two builders.

If you view both videos, you'll find that the technologies employed are pretty similar. Regarding page creation through drag and drop, both products work similarly. The different ways elements may be positioned and modified within the page blocks influenced my decision to use Nicepage. Elementor's manual handling of position, sizing, and modification tools in the left column can be time-consuming. At the same time, Nicepage's mouse use for all these functions on the design page is more efficient. While this distinction might seem minor, it significantly impacts how quickly you can achieve your desired look and do so without spending hours in front of your computer.

Elements

Nicepage claims over 300-page elements, and while Elementor does not give a number, a browse through available features appears to be very similar. Elements might be broken down into:

- Design elements - These include such elements as Headings, elements for layout, images, text editor, buttons, texts, colors, fonts, etc

- Function elements include forms, menus, sliders, social media integration, etc.

Nicepage




Elementor

Pricing

Both offer a free edition. As you might expect, these free editions have certain restrictions. The limitations affect the number of websites on which you may use your license and specific features. So let's look at them side by side:

Elementor:

- Free Plan - The free version is limited to one website, 50 editor widgets, and no theme building. A few other limitations exist, such as no eCommerce or form builders.

- Essential Plan - For most of those reading along, this version or the free version will be the only version in which you will have any interest. You are not designing multiple websites. Only the one you need for your business. This plan is $49 per year and allows for one website. It comes with 100+ editor widgets as well as the theme builder. It also has more website kits and designer themes available. Plus, it has eCommerce, a popup builder, and a form builder.

- There is also the Expert Plan, the Studio Plan, and the Agency Plan. While there are a few more differences than this, the primary difference is the number of websites with which they can be used.

Nicepage:

- Free Plan- The free starter pack allows you to create the site, export it, and test most options. The number of grids, blocks, colors, etc., is limited in the free version. There is no limit to how long the free version is available.

- Personal Plan - The cost of this plan is $59 per year. This plan gives free updates, five sites, 10,000+ Page and Block designs, 200 block layouts, 25 Grid styles, and 1 Modal Popup.

- Other plans include the Business plan for $129 annually, the Pro plan for $199 a year, and the Ultimate for $349 a year. Each of these plans will increase the number of sites, page & block designs, grid styles, and modal popups. Again, the Personal Plan is sufficient if you are only interested in designing your business site. Should you need more than one site for your business, the Personal Plan will allow this.

Get a top Elementor Developer

Conclusion:

Both plugins offer similar functionality, so choosing between them depends on your needs and preferences. If you’re looking for a simple page builder with fewer options, then Elementor might be better for you. However, if you’re looking to build complex pages with many different elements, then NicePage will likely be a better choice. It will excel in giving you:

- The ability to try out your ideas on the fly.

- Allow you to modify elements in minutes.

- web design 3.0 features

- 1,000s of designer web templates

- A responsive design that looks great on any device

Check them out:

Nicepage




Elementor

(We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.)

Additional Resources:

- My Personal Guide to All the Best Features in Nicepage, Part 1

- My Personal Guide to The Best Features in Nicepage Part 2

- My Personal Guide to All the Best Features in Nicepage - Part 3

- Unlocking the Power of Nicepage: My Personal Guide - Part 4
https://digitalchowder.com/elementor-vs-nicepage-which-is-better-for-wordpress-websites/

What Is A Pad Printer And How Can It Help Your Home Business?

How Can A Pad Printer Help Your Home Business?

What Is A Pad Printer? If your business transfers two-dimensional images onto three-dimensional objects, that question could interest you. Your quality might be lacking if you use screen printing or another technique rather than pad printing. The pad printer is made specifically for this print job.

But you may also be looking for a way to take your home business to the next level. Pad printing can benefit your existing business but can also be an avenue for diversifying your business or starting a new one.

What Is Pad Printing?

Pad printing is an indirect offset where ink from a laser engraved plate is transferred onto a 3-D object using a silicon pad. Thanks to pad printing, a process once difficult or impossible to complete is now available for customization. With the pad printer, it is possible to print on such materials as:

- Aluminum

- Cellulose acetate

- Ceramics

- Chromium-plated surfaces

- Coated surfaces

- Cotton

- Duroplastics (phenolic and melamine resins, glass-fiber reinforced polyester, and epoxy resins)

- Glass

- Gold-plated surfaces 

- Leather

- Metals

- Nickel-plated surfaces

- Paper

- Plasticized PVC

- Polyester (PES)

- Rubber

- Silicone rubber

- Synthetic leather

- Wood

- and many more

By broadening the types of materials you can print on, you also enlarge the number of doors opening for starting a new business or expanding an already current one. With being able to print on any of the following surfaces, your printing ventures could include:

- 1. Custom coasters

- 2. Ceramics such as mugs, plates, and bowls.

- 2. T-shirts

- 3. Golf balls

- 4. Keychains

- 5. Magnets

- 6. Notepads

- 7. Pens

- 8. Mousepads

- 9. Stickers

- 10. Glassware Decoration

- 11. Metal Signage

- 12. Promotional Items such as pens and buttons

- 13. Product Labeling

- 14. Barcodes

This list is not exhaustive, but it should pique your thinking about the limitless options. These choices might be made available as promotional goods for your company or to sell, or you may contract with other firms to print on products they create or market.

Basics of Pad Printing

How does a pad printer work? 

Three components are necessary for a pad printing machine to deliver a print to an object: the plate, the ink cup, and the pad.

The Plate: The printing plate holds the image you want to engrave on the object. Common ones are plastic – thin metal plates covered using photosensitive plastics. They are known for their flexibility, cheapness, and easy printing. Another type is the steel plate, known for toughness and durability and better suited for large production runs.

The Pad: The mechanism that transfers ink in a pad printing machine is called the printing pad. With the image on the pad, the pad stamps it onto the object.

Pads are silicone, with the type and hardness depending on their purpose. Pads also come in diverse shapes and sizes, determined by the application and artwork.

The Ink Cup: An ink cup is a mechanism that contains the ink printed on a component. The ink cup travels over a plate containing the etch and then returns, leaving only a tiny amount of ink in the etched region.

The ring and cup are the two essential parts of an ink cup. The plate has a ring that slides over the cup to limit ink to locations on the plate consistent with the image. Some manufacturers use ceramic, metal, and plastic rings in their products.

For more details, go to: 

- Step by Step Guide:  https://www.printinginternational.com/story-printing-international/what-is-pad-printing/

- Training & Expert Advice: https://itwtranstech.com/services/training/

Cost of getting started

Suppose you're wondering how much it costs to begin pad printing. In that case, the answer is relative to whether you plan on utilizing it for existing business ventures or starting an independent pad-printing-based business.

Print Projects within your business

With an established business, you may wish to print your company name or logo on goods as a marketing technique. For example, publishing your firm's name and logo on coffee mugs as a giveaway is an option. You may rent a little pad printer for $310 from here. A printer with this price range would come with supplies such as ink, paper, and plates, but not necessarily the printer itself.

Pad Printer Business

There are a variety of print projects that a company may undertake. Therefore, the cost depends on the nature of the job. Other factors contributing to the cost are the size and quantity of the product to be imprinted. To give an example, I'll utilize one case study; you may tailor it to your needs.

This example will use mugs as the product of choice using the Printa Systems ready-made printing system.

The Printa System provides you with the high-quality equipment needed to run your business and the expert training necessary for success. With this particular plan, you are leasing to buy the 990 Series Silver Pad Printer System. The cost of the machine is $3995, with shipping totaling an extra $110—making the total $4105. Your contract stipulates that you pay out this lease at a manageable monthly rate of $138.75 for 48 months. At the end of this period, you will own the equipment.

It is wise to keep it simple and start with a niche market such as mugs. But the equipment you purchase will enable you to branch out and print many other things like water bottles, pens, glasses, cups, and golf balls. You won't need to purchase any extra machinery.

In addition to the equipment, you will also receive training on how to use it. The session covers setup, preparation, artwork, printing, and more topics. This way, even if you have never worked with a printer, you can get started without trouble.

Go to this link to explore the information further.

Other Ideas: This is only one way to secure the printing equipment. However, this example may serve as a guide for the cost and capacity of a pad printery. Furthermore, this method allows you to start without making a significant financial investment.

Go to https://www.printa.com/business-resources/how-to-start-a-mug-printing-business for more information about the printa system.

Ideas For Identifying Business Clients

After you've decided to start your own pad printing company and have acquired your equipment, you will now need print jobs. Enlisting jobs may be the most challenging part of launching a print shop business for you. Where can you locate customers, and how will you entice them?

Individual Customers

If you operate a home-based business, realize that foot traffic will not contribute to your success as it would for a store-front operation. Your primary customers deliberately seek out your products or services online or through word of mouth.

Any mode of advertisement or promotion (aside from a street-level sighting) places you on equal footing with the store-front business owner. Those ads can easily direct customers to your website, make a phone call, or send an email inquiry.

Business Clients

You're not limited to only finding individuals as customers; business clients are another great option. If you pad print any products, find businesses that make and sell those same items so they can use your service for imprinting purposes.

Teaming up with this type of business can make sense financially because you would print more items and get stable work. In other words, having just a few contracts like this could be all your company needs to do well. Once established, you can increase your production with more of the same printing or start imprinting onto different products--or both! This way, your printing volume will go up, along with how much money you're making.

Here are some reasons why choosing a B2B approach to identifying print jobs might be wise. These ideas come from the article, "Why B2B is a Better Choice for a Print Shop Franchise," published by Signarama Franchise.

Conclusion

To summarize, pad printers can be highly beneficial to home business owners:

Business projects can help you create professional-looking marketing materials and personalized gifts and save money on commercial printing services.

Start a new business: Starting a pad printing business can be a great way to earn extra income from home. Anyone can get started in this rewarding field with a small investment in equipment and supplies! 

Please share your thoughts or experiences in the comment section below. What would you like me to write about? Contact me at: wayne@digitalchowder.com

https://digitalchowder.com/what-is-a-pad-printer-and-how-can-it-help-your-home-business/

3 Best Free Invoicing Apps for Sole Proprietors in 2022

Free Invoicing Apps for Sole Proprietors

Why An Invoicing App

If you're a sole proprietor, chances are you're always on the go, and your time is precious. An invoicing app can help save you time and make sure you're paid promptly by automating the invoicing process. With an invoicing app, you can create and send invoices directly from your phone or computer. In addition, many invoicing apps allow you to track payments so you can see at a glance who owes you money and when the payments are due. This can significantly help you stay organized and on top of your finances. Another significant advantage of using an invoicing app is that it allows you to get paid via credit card or PayPal, which can be a big plus if your clients prefer those payment methods. So if you're looking for a way to streamline your billing process and get paid faster, an invoicing app is worth considering.

Finding a FREE invoicing app is even better. Getting the help of an invoicing app doesn't need to break your budget. You don't need all the features of a more significant business, so why pay for them? This blog will recommend three of the best free invoicing apps for your home business.

Wave

Wave Website

Wave is a free invoicing app that allows you to create and send clean, professional-looking documents for no cost whatsoever. It also includes handy features like tracking payments or managing expenses, so your finances stay on top! Choose Wave for invoicing and add needed features such as accounting and banking. They are all 100% free.

Wave makes money when you choose to use its financial services. For instance, you can use Wave invoicing for free. The service costs you nothing if a client pays the invoice through their own channels. However, you can have Wave send the invoice, and the client can choose to pay the invoice using Wave payment services, and Wave receives a percentage of the transaction. The same principle is true of their other services.

Here is how it breaks down:

- Need to receive payments? It is 2.9% + $.60 per transaction.

- Need payroll services? The cost of $35 per month.

In addition to these services, Wave offers consultation for a fee:

- Need a bookkeeping advisor? The cost is $149 per month.

- You can have an accounting and payroll coach for a one-time fee of $329.

A benefit of taking advantage of these paid services is that it leaves the heavy lifting to Wave. Need to refund a customer? No problem. Wave will take care of it and keep track. Wave's slogan is "Everything you need. Nothing you don't." And that is the approach to their services.

Wave has recently added a banking feature to which I referred above. As with the other services, banking is free. The service tracks business and personal expenses and keeps them separate to simplify tax season. Wave debit card purchases automatically get logged and categorized in the accounting software. Transactions can be tracked with their mobile app.

Wave Website

Zoho

Zoho Website

Zoho is another excellent choice for the sole proprietor. By comparison with Wave, Zoho is a scalable, full-featured accounting app. While it has a free plan, there are limitations to the number of customers or invoices included with the plan. Since we are focusing on free plans, I will compare the Zoho free plan with Wave.

The Zoho free plan includes these features:

- Hosted payment pages

- Multi-currency support

- Integrated with Stripe

- Offline payments

- Client self-service portal

As you move into the paid plans, more features are included. As you scale upward to the more advanced plans, Zoho becomes one of the market's best invoicing and accounting apps. Zoho's free plan cannot compete with Wave as a free app. On the other hand, Wave cannot quite make it with Zoho as an advanced accounting app.

With Wave, there is no paid plan for invoicing and accounting. Therefore, there are no limits to the number of customers or features between various plans. There is only one plan, and it is free!

Zoho is a good choice for a small or mid-size business with more complex accounting needs.

Zoho Website

ZipBooks

ZipBooks Website

ZipBooks is also designed for the sole proprietor or small business. As a free invoicing and accounting option for the sole proprietor, it fits in a category between Wave and Zoho. Wave is completely free. There are no paid options for invoicing and accounting. On the other hand, I would not rate Zoho as an authentically free choice. Yes, there is a free plan, but there are restrictions. It will accommodate only 20 customers. It limits the free service to very small businesses and calculates small using a metric based on the number of customers.

Wave also targets small businesses but uses a different metric for small. Rather than measuring by the number of customers, it calculates based on the complexity of the business accounting needs.

So what about ZipBooks? Its free plan includes:

- Sending unlimited invoices

- Managing unlimited vendors & customers

- Accepting digital payments (Square or PayPal)

- Viewing Basic Reports

- Connecting one bank account

This is a similar approach to Wave. Again, the metric is based on accounting features rather than customers. The ZipBook philosophy is, "From accepting your first transaction to operating a high-revenue operation, we have a plan that covers you (yes, it starts at free)!" So as a new business, you start free. As your business grows, upgrade to the plan that best fits your needs. But since the features offered in the free plan are unlimited, nothing is added to these features in the paid plans. With the paid plans, you will have included things like automation, the number of bank accounts, and the number of team members. For instance, check this list of features included in the Smarter Plan:

- Schedule recurring invoices with auto-bill

- Automate reminders

- Save invoice line items

- Connect multiple bank accounts

- Receive account notifications

- Track time

- Add 5 team members

ZipBooks Website

Which App Is Best

The plan that is best for you is just that - the plan that is best for you. Saying one app is better than another can only be judged based on whether it best suits your needs, regardless of how many great features it has. I have already given a clue to an approach to deciding which invoicing app to choose. Now I will go into it in more detail.

Greatest Need -- Is your greatest need invoicing, bookkeeping, payroll, or something else? If your business sells products, bookkeeping may be the most significant need rather than invoicing or payroll. If, on the other hand, you provide client services, invoicing is probably your greatest need. So start there. If invoicing is your greatest need, then the number of customers or clients you have is also essential. You don't want an app that restricts your number of customers.

If customers and invoicing are not your most significant concern, pick those issues that are of greatest concern. Maybe you need more complex accounting or want to accept payments on your website? Whatever it is, laser focus on your most significant concern or need. Having found the plan that best addresses that concern, now consider some more minor concerns. Does the app that best addresses your most significant concern also address this minor concern? If not, is that a game changer? If so, your next option is to accept a compromise with your more significant concern issue. Or, it may be that none of these three apps best addresses your need.

While your business may be small, your financial concerns may be mid-size business issues. You may need to go looking for apps better suited for the mid-size business.

Small Business Financial Tips

I hope this blog has helped you decide on a free invoice app for your business. Here are a couple of additional tips to help keep up with your business financials.

Tips for Getting Paid On Time With An Invoice

Tips for getting paid on time with an invoice
Invoicing can be frustrating, such as sending out countless payment reminder emails, making numerous phone calls, and still not getting paid on time. Fortunately, you can do a few things to increase your chances of getting paid promptly. First, be clear about your payment terms from the start. Make sure you discuss payment options and timelines with your client before starting work. Second, use an invoicing system that allows you to track payments and automatically send reminders. Finally, follow up with a phone call or email a week after your invoice is due. By taking these simple steps, you can decrease the chances of getting stiffed on a bill.

Why tracking income is essential for sole proprietors

Tracking your income is not an activity you can take lightly. It is what keeps you in business. Besides helping you stay organized and on top of your finances, you will know how much money you bring in each month. With this information, you can better budget and keep up with your cash flow. This will also be incredibly helpful in deciding how to grow your business. Plus, it will help you spot potential problems before they become too serious.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. Our list of three best free invoicing apps and tips on ensuring you get paid for all that hard work. Whether you use one of the apps we’ve mentioned or choose a different option, remember to keep your invoices clear and concise, follow up if needed, and always be professional. With a little organization and a solid payment system, you can focus on what you do best—running your business!

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