Bundles are big these days. Mostly they're of the game or consumer-software variety, but every so often you see one designed for businessfolk.
Like this one: For the next three days, StackSocial has the Ultimate Entrepreneur Bundle for $50. It's a collection of startup-friendly tools and services with a combined value of over $2,000.
Sounds a little too good to be true, right? I couldn't agree more—except that StackSocial has a proven track record when it comes to bundles, and this one is totally legit.
The collection includes a wide-ranging assortment of items for new and established small businesses alike. For example, you get a $20 credit for Clarity.fm, which helps you connect with experts on a variety of subjects (product design, marketing, etc.) and sets up a phone-based consultation.
Next, there's a $50 credit for 99designs, which crowdsources your design job (company logo, newsletter, Web site, etc.) so you get the best possible deal.
You also get a paperback copy of "The Lean Entrepreneur," which is scheduled for publication in February, 2013, and a digital copy of "The Entrepreneur's Guide to Customer Developerment."
Help Scout provides small businesses with a kind of turnkey help-desk system, and the bundle includes a six-month Basic Plan.
Need order and inventory management? You'll get six months of Lettuce, which turns your iPad (or Web browser) into a complete order-management system.
Also on the bundle menu: six months of Web site-optimization service Spinnakr, a year of sales tracking via Stride, and lots more.
Now, obviously not everything in the bundle will appeal to every business owner. You might not need, say, Mojo Video, a video webinar and e-book designed to help you implement a virtual sales team.
But with so many six-month and year-long trials, the bundle affords a good opportunity to test-drive various tools and services you might otherwise bypass, with plenty of time to see if they positively impact your bottom line. That Lettuce app alone is worth $354, so if you find it useful, you're already getting a steal at $50.
Many bundles are little more than shovelware. This one offers a ton of value, to the point where I think anyone launching or nurturing a business would be wise to check it out.