I have been running my own business for a while now, and I can tell you that software costs can be a huge burden. That’s why I want to share with you how I chose to use free software alternatives to reduce cost with my business while I get the same or even better functionality than the paid software. You won’t believe how much money I saved and how much easier it was to collaborate with my team and clients. Free software is not only cost-effective, but also reliable, secure, and user-friendly. In this competitive market, you need every advantage you can get. Don’t let pricey software stop you from reaching your full potential and your goals. Instead of buying all those expensive licenses, try to use some free software alternatives and see how they can transform your business.
That being said, if I got your attention, let’s take a closer look at how you can reduce costs with your business using free software:
Using Ubuntu instead of Windows as your Operating System
I have ten desktop computers and two laptops in my office, so you can imagine what that means in terms of costs if I use Windows OS and other paid apps like Office 365 suite; the costs will be tremendous as I have to buy a Windows license for each computer so why not use those money for something else on my business? Not to mention the security risks and the constant updates that slow down the system, or the need for also buying antivirus software for better security. So say goodbye to expensive Windows licenses and hello to Ubuntu, a user-friendly Linux distribution that offers everything your business needs at zero cost. With Ubuntu, you’ll enjoy a stable, secure operating system that’s easy to manage and compatible with a wide range of software applications. Plus, with no licensing fees to worry about, you’ll free up valuable funds that can be reinvested into growing your business.
Here is how Ubuntu helps you manage your business better and more cost effective:
As I mentioned, I have ten desktop computers and two laptops at my office, so here is what I did to use them properly with almost zero costs for software. First I imagined how I`ll use those computers and then I made a plan. It is very important to know how you`ll organize work at your office and what tools you need. In my business I need to work a lot with files, documents, photo & video editing apps and to communicate a lot with my team and my clients using email or modern chat tools. After I made the plan on how to use the IT equipment that I had, I knew I needed two servers, one for Cloud File Sharing and one for a Project Management software so I decided to take two top-hardware desktop computers I had and to use them as servers.
Cloud File Server with Ubuntu Server and Nextcloud
If you haven’t heard of Nextcloud yet, I`ll tell you what it is and how you can use it…
Nextcloud is a free and open source software that lets you create your own cloud storage service. You can store, sync, and share your files, photos, videos, calendars, contacts, and more with Nextcloud. If you install it on a hosting service, you can also access your data from any device, anywhere, and collaborate with others in real time. Nextcloud is secure, flexible, and customizable to suit your needs.
With Nextcloud, you have full control over your data. You can choose where to host it, how to encrypt it, and who can access it. You can also integrate Nextcloud with other apps and services, such as email, chat, video conferencing, office suite, social media, and more. Nextcloud is also compatible with all major platforms, including Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, and web browsers.
To use Nextcloud, you need to install it on a server or a web hosting service. You can also use a pre-configured Nextcloud appliance or a hosted Nextcloud service from a provider. Once you have Nextcloud installed, you can create an account and start using it. You can also invite other users to join your Nextcloud and share files and folders with them. You can set permissions and expiration dates for each share, and revoke them at any time. If you install Nextcloud on your Ubuntu Server locally you can only use it inside your organization or network, but if you have a dedicated external IP address you can configure your Ubuntu server to allow external connection and to collaborate with people from outside your organization.
Project Management with OpenProject Community Edition
As I told you before, my business also needs a Project Management tool so after I did some research, I decided to use OpenProject so I installed it on the second server. As you may know, an effective project management might be the key to the success of any business. What I like about OpenProject Community Edition, is that you can access a powerful open-source project management solution for free, with everything I need to get the project started. From planning and tracking tasks to collaborating with team members, OpenProject offers all the features I need to keep my projects on track and my team members focused on what is important.
This is what I did next after installing OpenProject…
I opened the web browser and typed in the URL of my OpenProject instance. I was greeted by a friendly welcome screen that asked me to create an admin account and a project. I filled in the required fields and clicked on “Create”. I was amazed by how easy and fast it was to set up my own project management platform!
Next, I explored the different features and modules that OpenProject offered. It is amazing how easy I could create tasks, milestones, timelines, wikis, forums, and more. I could also customize the look and feel of my project, assign roles and permissions, and integrate with other tools like GitHub, Slack, and Zoom. I was impressed by how powerful and flexible OpenProject is!
Finally, I invited my team members to join my project and collaborate with me. I sent them an email with a link to sign up and access the project. They were excited to see what I had created and how we could use OpenProject to manage our work more efficiently and effectively. We started to create tasks, assign them, comment on them, and track their progress. We also used the forums and wikis to share ideas and knowledge. We felt more connected and productive than ever before!
I was so happy with my decision to install OpenProject. It was the best thing I ever did for my project and my team!
Now let`s talk about free software on Ubuntu
So, as I said Ubuntu is an excellent alternative to Windows or Mac OS, because it gives you access to thousands of free and open source applications, that can help you accomplish your daily tasks without paying anything.
As you already realized I`m a big fan of free and open source software and I like Ubuntu a lot, so I will focus on some of the most popular and useful free applications for Ubuntu. These apps can replace the paid programs that you use maybe on other operating systems. I will give a brief description for each application and I will mention what paid applications you can compare them with.
I hope you enjoy this article and it inspires you to try Ubuntu and free software. Let’s get started!
LibreOffice
LibreOffice is a complete office suite, that offers you everything you need to create, edit and share documents of all kinds. It is a free alternative to Microsoft Office (which costs at least 69 euros per year for the Office 365 subscription) and it has almost all the features that Microsoft Office has, plus some more, such as support for extensions, compatibility or export to ePub. LibreOffice is compatible with Microsoft Office formats but also with other open formats, such as ODF or PDF.
You can install LibreOffice on Ubuntu using the command:
sudo snap install libreofficeGnome Calendar
Gnome Calendar is a simple and elegant application to organize your schedule and manage your events. Gnome Calendar syncs with your online accounts, such as Google Calendar or Nextcloud, and allows you to view and edit your events in different ways: day, week, month or year.
Gnome Calendar is a free alternative to Outlook Calendar, which is part of the Microsoft Office package. Gnome Calendar has a cleaner and more intuitive interface than Outlook Calendar and does not require a Microsoft account to work.
You can install Gnome Calendar on Ubuntu using the command:
sudo apt install gnome-calendarThunderbird
Thunderbird is an email and RSS client, that allows you to manage multiple email accounts in one place. Thunderbird has a customizable interface and support for extensions, that can add additional functionality, such as encryption of emails, spam filtering or integration with other online services.
Thunderbird is a free alternative to Outlook Mail, which is part of the Microsoft Office package. Thunderbird has multiple configuration and security options, just like Outlook Mail, and you can configure almost any type of email account that you want to use to send and receive emails. Thunderbird doesn`t support Microsoft exchange server, but if you are using this type of server, you can always buy an extension to enable that.
You can install Thunderbird on Ubuntu using the command:
sudo snap install thunderbirdWeb browsers
Web browsers are the applications that we use most often to access the internet. On Ubuntu, you have several free and performant options to browse the web, such as:
Google Chrome: the most popular web browser in the world, developed by Google. Chrome is fast and reliable and also has support for extensions and synchronization with your Google account.
You can install Google Chrome Browser on Ubuntu by downloading it from the official website:
https://www.google.com/chrome/
Firefox is an open source web browser, developed by Mozilla. Firefox puts a strong accent on protecting user privacy and security, offering features such as tracker blocking, private mode or integrated VPN.
You can install Firefox on Ubuntu using the command:
sudo apt install firefoxMicrosoft Edge: a new web browser, based on the same engine as Chrome, developed by Microsoft. Edge has a modern and simple interface, support for extensions and synchronization with your Microsoft account.
You can install Edge on Ubuntu using the command:
sudo snap install microsoft-edge-devOr you can download the .deb package from the official website:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/download/
Photo editing applications
As I mentioned, my business is about writing articles, editing documents or creating and editing photos for online marketing. If you edit or create digital images, Ubuntu offers you several free and powerful applications for this purpose. Here are some of those apps that I hope you find useful:
Gimp is an advanced photo editing program. It allows you to retouch, compose and create high-quality images. Gimp has a simple interface and support for extensions, that can add additional functionality, such as filters, effects or tools. Gimp is a free alternative to Photoshop, which is developed by Adobe.
You can install Gimp on Ubuntu using the command:
sudo snap install gimpKrita is a digital drawing program, that allows you to create art, comics or animations. Krita has an optimized interface for graphic tablets also and support for extensions, that can add additional functionality, such as brushes, textures or tools. Krita is a free alternative to Illustrator, which is developed by Adobe.
You can install Krita on Ubuntu using the command:
sudo snap install kritaInkscape is a vector drawing program, that allows you to create scalable and editable images. Inkscape has an intuitive interface and support for extensions, that can add additional functionality, such as filters, effects or tools. Inkscape is a free alternative to CorelDraw, which is developed by Corel.
You can install Inkscape on Ubuntu using the command:
sudo snap install inkscapeStart your business using free software
So, if you want to start a business, or maybe you already have one and the costs are too much to sustain it, you should consider starting to use free software alternatives that can reduce costs and maintain productivity at the same time. There are a lot of things you can take advantage of by using free software alternatives and here are just a few of them:
- You save money for your business so you don’t have to pay licenses or subscriptions to use applications.
- You have the freedom of choice so you can choose the applications that suit you best and customize them according to your preferences.
- You are in control over your company projects and everything is simple and intuitive.
- Your team has everything that needs to stay productive and to enjoy a good office environment.
- Your clients will always have transparency on the projects you provide.
In my opinion free and open source software has evolved a lot over the years and has become so important that it is now a competitive option in many domains. Today, you can find free software for almost any task you need to do on your computer, from office work to entertainment.
I hope this article has convinced you to give free software a try when it comes to your business. You should try to discover its advantages for yourself and if you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments section below.
Thank you for reading and see you next time!