The Must-Have Tool Small Business Owners Are Using
Retailers and Freelancers Alike: Never Spend A Penny. Get Essential Business Tools and Features for FREE.
Sick and tired of free trials coming to an end? All of these companies pitch their tools to small businesses as “free” only to leave you high and dry once the free trial — that you didn’t even know you were in — ends. Scheduling, point of sale, invoicing, and payrolls are all essential features for small businesses yet somehow, they’re so hard to find or afford. Introducing Square.
Think you’ve heard of Square? No no, not Squarespace. Square is both hardware and software — and it’s also the free small business solution you’ve been dreaming of. Let me walk you through the basics.
First of all, Square works as a database. It stores your customers, schedule, contracts, orders, sales, items, and pretty much anything else you need. But how does it get this data? Square can be integrated with almost any mainstream platform — again, totally free. Better yet, Weebly by Square (Square’s website builder) is free to use as well. Once you’re synced up with your online store, Square easily stores your important info and makes it simple to analyze, import, and export your data.
So let’s dive into some detail about the features. Customers and orders are pretty straightforward, but what’s the deal with scheduling? Square is your free scheduling solution. Let customers book, cancel, reschedule, and pay for appointments themselves, schedule and take payments from your end, and integrate your booking calendar on any platform (including Instagram!) Set reoccurring appointments/payments or take payments from clients in person — Square does it all in one convenient place and on the go.
Point of sale and invoicing are my personal favs. Point of sale connects directly with your eCommerce platform, so you can easily keep your inventory updated and track your in-person sales. Apply real-time discounts, take cash payments, and even create custom sale amounts on the spot.
Invoicing comes in handy when you’re doing freelance work like creating custom products or providing services for people. Send estimates and invoices that can easily be tracked and paid through Square’s invoices app. No more shaking people down at the end of a project for their Venmo or PayPal — invoice them digitally and skip all the awkwardness.
Another awesome feature by Square is their contract templates. Great for freelancers of all kinds — Square provides templates to protect you and your business, and of course, they’re free.
So why are all of these amazing features free on Square? Well, Square has some paid features like premium website plans, hardware, and certain extra tools like rewards programs or staff accounts that cost extra— but nothing more than you’d pay anywhere else.
Sign Up for Free HERE To Get A Free Card Reader And $1000 of Free Card Processing — That Means No Transaction Fees.
Don’t forget about the hardware! Square offers credit/debit card readers, modern cash registers, and other awesome business and merchandising tools. Square’s hardware is definitely their claim to fame. I’ve seen so many businesses — big and small — using Square’s card readers and registers, so Square must be doing something right.
As a small business owner, you know you never really have time off. You need a way to access important features when you’re out and about. Square has about five or six different apps that separate its features from Square’s main site for easier use and navigation on mobile. Be warned — they all look the same: a square in a square, but use colors to differentiate. There’s one app for invoices, one for scheduling, one for point of sale, one for your data/analytics, one for payroll, and so much more.
Below are the details for the different apps and the sign-up link for Square itself. You only need one login for all the different apps — and they all sync together on your laptop or phone when you log in to your Square account via browser. Sign up first and then use that same login to access the apps listed below.
SIGN UP FOR FREE Before You Download Any Apps. Use The Same Login for All Apps.
App Design “Name of App” | Features of App
White Icon “Square” | Point of Sale for Goods and Services
Green Icon “Appointments” | Scheduling and Appointments
Blue Icon “Invoices” | Send Invoices and Estimates
Teal Icon “Square: Retail Point of Sale | Point of Sale for Retail and Inventory
Clock Icon “Square Team” | Shifts and Paystubs for Employees
Purple Chart Icon “Dashboard” | Sale Analytics for Businesses
Green Schedule Icon “Square Payroll” | Payroll for Employers
Blue “W” Icon “Weebly by Square” | Square’s Website Builder
Take the time to check out Square and see how their free tools can change your life as a small business owner. Note that this article contains affiliate links.
