Web Resources for Startups

It's never been easier to start a business - with some of the services available over the web, you need less money to be more productive, appear more professional and established than ever before. Here's a small list of web services I've come across - let me know if there are any others you'd recommend.

My suggestion to you: grab a large cup of joe and browse through some of these services. I'm going to bet at least a few of these companies will blow your socks off. Sometimes knowing that they exist are enough to realize that you could grow or develop faster than you ever imagined possible.

Manage contacts & develop new ones.

Email. First, setting it up. Google Apps (*$), Yahoo SmallBusiness (*$), and Zimbra. Use it Productively. Xobni (*), Google Desktop (*). Track & Build Effective Email Campaigns (not to be confused with spam). MailChimp ($), CampaignMonitor ($), Industry Mailout ($), StreamSend ($), GoogleMail's Guidelines, YahooMail's Guidelines. Online CRM. ZohoCRM ($, but first 3 users are free), Highrise ($). Other. MyPunchBowl, Anyvite, Proof Email Designs.

Calls & voicemail. Asterisk, GotVmail ($), FonGenie ($), Twilio ($), Grand Central, Ringcentral ($), GotVoice (*$), Skype (*$), Jajah (*$). Call center services. Live Ops ($), Alpine Access ($), Convergys ($), Weavepartners ($). Other. Slydial.

Web. Balsamiq ($), Amazon Web Services (*$), FeedbackArmy ($), Wufoo ($), Kampyle, Animoto (*$), UserVoice, CrowdSound ($), Google Website Optimizer, CrossbrowserTesting, and Other Web Design Analytics Tools.

Blog. PCWorld's '07 Comparison of Blogging Platforms.

Develop new leads. LeadVine ($), Sales Genie ($).

Tell the world

Print Layouts. Branddoozie ($), Inkd ($), Stocklayouts ($).

Microstockphotography. iStockphoto (*$), SnapVillage ($), SnapVillage ($), BigStockPhoto (*$), ShutterStock ($), Fotolia, Dreamstime ($), and StockXpert ($).

Website Templates. TemplateMonster (*$)

Manage projects and files.

FolderShare (*), Unison File Synchronizer, Basecamp ($), Huddle ($), Project Pier, Callanos, Streamfocus, Redmine ($), Trac, Syncplicity, LiquidPlanner ($) and Groove (*$). Specifically for webapps: ProductPlanner.

Collaborate & share.

Delicious (*), Twiddla (*), Smugmug (for pics $*), Scribd (*), Nosco's IdeaExchange ($), Kluster, Issuu, Slide Rocket, Zapproved ($), Prezi ($), Review Basics, Conceptshare ($), Octopz ($), Cozimo ($), ProofHQ ($), Thinkature and a compilation from FreelanceSwitch

Figure out what you do well, Outsource the rest.

Elance (*$), Guru ($), oDesk ($), Redesignme ($), Ask Sunday ($), Get Friday ($), Mechanical Turk($), Spudaroo ($), 99 Designs ($), Crowdspring ($), Rent-A-Coder ($), ScriptLance ($) and Freelancer ($). For product/process development: InnovationExchange ($).

Manage accounting and finances.

Corduroy ($), Freshbooks ($), Quickbooks Online ($), Xpenser (*). Collecting payment. Google Checkout ($), Paypal (*$), Noca ($), and Credit Card Processing Reviews. Sell your receivables @ ReceivablesXchange.com (you need to be based in the US, at least 2 years old, have minimum 1.5M in revenues in last 12 months)

Track Time/Productivity/Reminders.

Jotlet, Clockspot, Flexlists, GetHarvest, TimeBridge, Jiffle, GTDInbox, Jott, RemembertheMilk, 30boxes, CulturedCode's Things for Mac, IDidWork, JoesGoals, Evernote and TSheets ($).

Travel.

ExpertFlyer, FlyerTalk (*), TripIt (*), ParkingSpots, Yapta, Farecast, 2itch.

Legal paperwork (Great for ideas but I'd still get a lawyer to review any important agreements! But it's generally far cheaper to have a lawyer review your draft than to start from scratch).

RocketLawyer (*), Startupcompanylawyer, FreeLegalForms, LegalRiver ($), MyCorporation ($), MyLLC ($), YCombinator's Legal Templates (*), Orick's Startup Forms Library, theFunded.com's Founder friendly Legal Docs.

Other.

Don't learn that you need to backup your stuff the hard way. Carbonite ($), JungleDisk ($), Mozy ($), Backblaze ($) and Dropbox ($).

Finding new digs. SuiteMatch, ZoomProspector, Regus.

People & HR. Spokeo ($), EHealthinsurance, Healthinsuranceinfo.

Shipping & fulfillment. TrackMyShipments, Amazon Fulfillment Services ($).

Starting a business can be a lonely experience. Consider networking online. Sta.rtup.biz, StartupNation, Biznik, Micromentor, IdeaCrossing, PartnerUp and GoBigNetwork.

Other. Google Translation Center (*), myGengo ($). Finding the best ideas in your organization. Kindling ($). Charts. LovelyCharts. Research and innovate. US Patent and Trademark Office and Trademarkia.

($) denotes if you need to pay in order to get anything useful out of the service (*) services I've used and recommend.