What software to choose when starting as a self-employed person? Dozens of management tools (ERP / CRM) and paid utilities are available to help you implement your project. But these very complete software do not necessarily correspond to your needs and their handling as well as their cost can represent a real obstacle.
- Our video
- Commercial management and accounting tools
- Some utilities and productivity tools for self-employed entrepreneurs
To save your cash flow without affecting your productivity when launching your business, it may be wise to opt for free and open source solutions. Sales and accounting management, customer relationship monitoring, office utilities and web tools: here are twelve handpicked tools that are particularly suited to the needs of self-employed entrepreneurs, with a presentation of their respective advantages.
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Loading your video "FAQ: 12 free working tools for the self-employed"Commercial management and accounting tools
Solegis
This free software allows you to manage the main aspects of activity monitoring: sales management (products, customers, sales documents), purchases (suppliers). It includes in particular a financial dashboard with display of the monthly, quarterly and annual history of the turnover achieved.
Advantage: Solegis is particularly suited to auto-entrepreneurs specializing in personal services, with dedicated functions: registration of the identification number, number and date of State approval, printing of annual tax certificates, etc.
Download Solegis
Dolibarr
This open source integrated management software package includes the functionalities of a CRM. It allows you to manage suppliers, stocks, products and follow-ups of orders, quotes, invoices, and commercial activity (prospects, customers, statistics, mailing, etc.), but does not include an accounting module.
Advantage: It is a modular software, which therefore allows the user to install the functions which correspond to his needs, which avoids overloading the menus. Among the modules, we find in particular: a catalog of products and services, a directory of customers, prospects and suppliers, a project management module, shipping management, PDF generation (invoices, orders, quotes, etc.)
Dolibarr has an intuitive web interface, which makes it operational very quickly.
Download Dolibarr
MyAE.com
This free software in hosted mode makes it possible in particular to manage invoices and quotes, to follow the evolution of its turnover, to access the history of its activities, to send its invoices by e-mail.
Advantage: it is a Web solution which can therefore be consulted and managed from anywhere, particularly suitable for mobile professionals. It is constantly updated according to changes in the status of auto-entrepreneur.
myae.com: the online solution
Monday Morning Business
This ERP is more particularly suited to craft and commercial activities. In addition to traditional commercial management tools, it offers several additional features: management of electronic payment terminals, bank accounts, production, prices (eg: price list)
Advantage: It adapts to several activities and several sales contexts: service provider, counter sales, sales agency, e-commerce, etc. LMB can be installed locally on the workstation, in a local network (collaborative tool), or on the Internet (in hosted mode with subscription). It integrates certain accounting tools (purchase and sales journals, cash flow).
Download Monday Morning Business
TerCompta
This accounting solution is intended for small businesses, artisans and self-employed people. It meets simple accounting needs, which do not require the structure of a double-entry software. It allows you to easily enter your purchases, sales, cash and cash book.
Advantage: TerCompta offers a ready-to-use chart of accounts that is well suited to self-employed entrepreneurs. The input tools are configurable according to the needs of the user who can develop the software according to the specificities of his profession.
Download TerCompta
Some utilities and productivity tools for self-employed entrepreneurs
Data Compression: 7-Zip
This Open Source compression-decompression software is easy to use, light and supports the main compression formats (Zip, Rar, Iso, etc.)
- Download 7-Zip
PDF Creator
This software allows you to create PDF files from any application with a printing tool (word processor, spreadsheet, accounting management, etc.). It allows to encrypt PDF files once created and to apply a digital signature to them, which can be very useful for sending digital invoices for example.
- Download PDF Creator
Data backup: Cobian Backup
This Open Source application allows you to schedule automatic backups of files or directories, either locally or on a remote server (an FTP client is included in the software).
- Download Cobian Backup
Data synchronization: FullSync
Well suited to mobile professionals, this open source software allows you to synchronize files located in two different places (for example, in a folder on the computer and on an external hard drive). With one click, information is updated between the two media.
- Download FullSync
Three instant translation tools
Among the most powerful free multilingual translation tools, for self-employed entrepreneurs who develop their activity internationally, we find in particular:
- Tradukka
- Reverso
- Promt Translator
