Maybe the most appealing thing about launching an online business is the low start-up costs. There’s no inventory to buy or warehouse space to rent, no shipping fees or even staffing to worry about.

All you need is a handful of software applications, and you can be up and running in less than a day, and for very little upfront investment.

One thing that keeps costs low is the availability of “freemium” tools and software. I use many of them every single day to handle a variety of business needs, including:

What I love most about freemium tools is the upgrade path. They’re fully functional even on the free tier, and they grow with you as your needs change. No more changing platforms because you outgrew a tool (what a pain). And because the developers have a viable business model—meaning they make money—freemium tools typically have a good, stable track record as well.

On this episode of the Tiny Course Empire Podcast, I’ll give you the inside scoop on the freemium tools I depend on every single day to keep my business running. I’ll tell you which ones I’ve used for free for years and have no intention of upgrading, and which ones I pay for and why. Listen in, and you might just find a few new favorites, or maybe some new uses for the tools you’re already using.

Prefer a transcript? Here you go!