I hear the cries of small business owners and entrepreneurs everywhere! They are doing it ALL and are stretched way TOO THIN. They get to use their passions for their careers...so it's worth it...but there's just not enough time in the day to get everything done. I am SO there with you, friend.
LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME 'LIFESAVER' RESOURCES THAT CAN INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND HELP YOU DO YOUR JOB MORE EFFICIENTLY.
My Favorite Tools to Help You Grow Your Small Business
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Over the past couple of years, I've invested both time and money in finding just the right resources to increase productivity. It has been SO gratifying to kick some of my old ways to the curb and infuse more tech into my business. Emailing PDF invoices out of Microsoft Word? Um...no thanks. Using my notebook to log hours? Ewwww.
While it took me quite a bit of time on the back-end to discover my software 'loves' and 'not-so-loves,' I have a tried and true 'favorites list' that really works well for me as a small business owner. I use all of these programs regularly to save both hours and headaches. Of course, the best system/software is the one that works for YOU. Do you have other platforms you enjoy that I've not listed here? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.
BUSINESS ESSENTIALS:
01. Asana
Project Management
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Free
Think of Asana as your digital to-do list...on steroids. Create tasks, add deadlines, attach files, and collaborate with clients or team members. It's the #1 tool for keeping all types of projects moving on a timeline without the back and forth emails.
02. DUBSADO
Customer Relationship Management
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Free Trial, $35/mo or $350/yr
> 20% off first month or year WITH CODE: studioadesigns
Schedule appointments, create automated workflows, proposals, invoices, online payments and more. I love Dubsado because they are a self-funded, family-owned company with personalized customer service and great education.
03. GRAMMARLY
Spelling and Copywriting
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Free
If you write emails, you need Grammarly. If you create documents, you need Grammarly. If you write social media captions, you need Grammarly. I really love the Google Chrome and Mac iOS integrations that catch my typos and make sentence structure suggestions.
04. CLOCKIFY
Time Tracking
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Free
If you are a service-based business, tracking your time is important, even if you don't charge by the hour. For me, it helps me stay on task and not linger on one project for too long. It also shows me if I'm charging enough or too much for projects.
05. DROPBOX
Asset Management
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Free Trail, $19+/month
Small teams and solopreneurs can manage files with real time syncing on multiple devices without the hassle of expensive server management. Easily share folders and files with the click of a button.
06. Jotform
Form Publisher
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START FOR FREE, $24+/MONTH
Create surveys, signups, book appointments, sell products, collect online payments, sell subscriptions, events and more. There are tons of customizable templates with integrations available for a variety of needs.
DIGITAL MARKETING:
07. Flodesk
Email Marketing
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30 DAYS FREE, PAID PLAN $39/MO
> 50% OFF with code: STUDIOADESIGNS
Connect with those who have opted to hear from you with Flodesk. It is 100% the right choice for small businesses marketing emails. I love it for small businesses who don't want all the extra confusion of other email platforms. Flodesk is SO simple to use, you don't even need a website to offer a freebie to start building your list.
08. Later
Social Media Management
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FREE TO TRY, PAID PLANS $15+/MO
> GET 10 FREE POSTS
Social media scheduling is a lifesaver, and keeps you from "living" your life on social media. Schedule posts at the beginning of the week or month and automate posts. See a preview of your instagram grid and more!
09. GOOGLE MY BUSINESS
Business Listing
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FREE
If you are a small business and you aren't using Google My Business, you need to stop what you are doing and go signup RIGHT NOW. If you already have an account, you need to log in each week, and ask for reviews to keep your local search ranking up!
10. Canva
Social Media Graphics
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FREE
You don't have to be a pro designer to use this easy graphic design interface. My favorite features are the ability to resize posts for different platforms with a click of a button, create animated graphics, incorporate video and more!
Check out my free Canva instagram templates and step-by-step tutorial.
11. Adobe Lightroom
Image Editing
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FREE
Ya know when you see a social media profile with photos that have all the same filter? Chances are good that they are using Adobe Lightroom to edit their photos for a more cohesive look. You can use the mobile version of the app for FREE. Save your image presets to have beautiful, cohesive social media posts with the click of a button.
12. ZAPIER
Workflow Automation
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FREE TRAIL, PAID PLANS $19.99+/mo
It's all about the automation! There are over 2,000 apps to integrate. Zapier connects more web apps than anyone. Set up triggers, actions and executions so your routine tasks can be done without any manual work on your part.
JUST FOR FUN: SPOTIFY FOR CHILL OFFICE VIBES
12. SPOTIFY
Music Playlists
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FREE
Music must be playing at all times in the office while working. Take your pic from the playlists below...or listen to all three.
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I get to use creativity everyday to help entrepreneurs focus on their passions to discovering their brand's "sweet spot" in the marketplace...and I absolutely LOVE IT!
I'd love to connect with you to chat more about your business.
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