T TOE Connect
For business owners just getting started

Free Tools & Resources

A short list of genuinely free tools worth knowing about — no trial periods, no hidden catches, just things that work while you're getting your business off the ground.

Video meetings

Alternatives to Zoom's time-limited free tier.
Google Meet
Free with any Google account, no time limit on 1-on-1 calls, generous limits on group calls.
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Whereby
No account needed for guests to join — good for client meetings where you don't want to ask them to sign up for anything.
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Jitsi Meet
Completely free, no account required for anyone, no time limits.
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Meet Hour
Unlimited meeting time, 1-on-1 or group meetings up to 100 participants, end-to-end encrypted, screen share, and virtual backgrounds.
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Scheduling

Calendly
Free tier covers one event type — good enough for a simple "book a call with me" link.
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Picktime
Unlimited appointments, built-in payment collection (PayPal, Stripe, Square), plus SMS and email reminders.
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Invoicing & bookkeeping

Wave
Genuinely free invoicing and double-entry bookkeeping — not a trial, an actual free plan.
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ZipBooks
Bank sync, invoicing, expense categorization and tracking, plus basic reports.
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Square Invoices
Free to send invoices; Square only takes a fee when a client actually pays through it.
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Point of sale (POS)

Square
Supports multiple business names, service categories, and locations under one account — tap to pay on iPhone or Android with no extra equipment needed.
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Link shortening & QR codes

Bitly
Shorten long URLs — great for text messages. Free tier includes 5 QR codes and 100 links per month, plus 5 custom landing pages.
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Digital business cards

Blinq
Share your contact info instantly with a tap or QR code — no paper cards to run out of.
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HiHello
Another solid free digital business card option, syncs contact info automatically when shared.
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E-signature

OpenSign
Unlimited digital signatures — sign your own documents or request signatures from others, with unlimited guest signers and email notifications.
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Design & marketing

Canva
Free tier is genuinely useful for flyers, social posts, and simple logos — no design experience needed.
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Mailchimp
Free tier covers a small email list — a real way to start building a customer list without paying.
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Funding & mentorship

Wisconsin-specific and free.
WWBIC — Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation
Free and low-cost business coaching and loan programs, open to all small business owners in Wisconsin, not just women-owned businesses.
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SCORE
Free one-on-one mentoring from experienced business volunteers, with a Milwaukee chapter.
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